kingslight: (♕ Gloom at dusk)
rєgís lucís cαєlum cхííí ([personal profile] kingslight) wrote in [community profile] hadriel_logs2017-01-20 04:52 am

Drifting to the Deep End

Who: Regis Lucis Caelum CXIII & Noctis Lucis Caelum
What: A long and emotionally painful conversation between father and son.
Where: The kitchen of their makeshift apartment in Hadriel.
When: Current
Warnings: Mentions of death & violence. Allusions to emotional torture. Post-KingsGlaive: FFXV & possible Chapter 13 SPOILERS.


[Never has it ever been more of an ordeal to keep his mind busy until now. Regis actually misses the complexity of his kingly life. Having this amount of downtime weighs heavily on his conscious and sanity both. So used to being on the move despite his bad leg, Regis finds it oddly disturbing to have such peace now. Of course, it's all just an elaborate illusion at best. Hadriel isn't remotely peaceful, not even in the slightest. However, Regis confined himself to the solitude that this humble apartment offers and hasn't regretted it yet. While his mind constantly tends to wander by its own volition, Regis did what he could to ignore it.

How unlike the King of Light to take up menial chores to ease his weary mind. Regis feels utterly ridiculous hovering over this cutting board pretending to know how to cook a meal. This is a task best left to a proper chef. This is not what a king should be doing and yet here he is. He makes a regal siholuette by the counter chopping away at his leisure. The vegetables he found were ones we took out of a shop nearby. Fresh greens, onions, mushrooms and carrots which thankfully weren't spoiled or rotten. He snatched a few things from this shop only to feel guilty in the end for his thievery. Regis vowed to replace the items he stolen upon a later date but right now, he needs them for dinner. Lady Lunafreya and his son both haven't eaten in days and that's mildly worrisome. The Oracle needs to conserve her strength in order to recover but she also needs to eat properly to regain her mentioned strength.

Without a proper diet, she'll surely die. That's a thought that scares him deeply.
]

...Nngh! [ A sharp gasp escapes Regis once a sharp stab of pain startles him from his gloomy thoughts. The knife is coated red with his blood and his fingers stinging from agony. Somehow while cutting this carrot, Regis injured himself. He stares at the gruesome gash with a look of surprise. Thankfully, Regis didn't cut through the tendons and bone but he left a bloody mess upon the cutting board.] Goodness, no.

[He tries in vain to save the vegetables but it's too late. The gentle curved leaves of the spinach are marred with splotches of red and the carrots are ruined too. Regis makes a move to stifle the bleeding but instead he freezes once his gaze catches a better glimpse at his obvious mortality.]

Right upon the ring finger---

[He whispers as he stares down at the gash. His mind blanks as a dark memory replays within his thoughts. Not too long ago, the Ring of Lucii once sat there but it was cut away by Glauca's blade. Paralyzed by a fear unknown, Regis just stares at the thin red rivulets that cascade down his fingers not at all aware of his son's approach.]
kittycaterer: (pic#10964153)

[personal profile] kittycaterer 2017-01-21 03:21 am (UTC)(link)
[ Noctis had taken to settling in the living room for once, finding that he needs to spend time with his father today. Mundane activities, maybe, or simply just sitting around sifting through the network. Either way, he's not doing much. He's laying upon the couch with his arm draped over his eyes, resting with the intention of napping when he hears a sudden shout. ]

--!

[ He snaps out of his nap quick, which is certainly a sign that he hasn't been able to rest much at all. Noctis is normally a heavy sleeper, but he's roused from it quickly. So quickly, he accidentally rolls off the couch and faceplants into the floor. ]

What-- Dad?!

[ Noctis scrambles to his feet fast, rushing to the kitchen. His heart is racing out of pure panic that something has happened. Whether that be someone breaking in here and hurting him, or this has all been some elaborate illusion, he's at his side. He skids to a halt when he reaches the kitchen, looking over to his father gazing at his hand as he essentially bleeds all over the counter. ]

You alright?

[ He sounds panicked, and is seemingly bewildered by the complete look of shock on Regis' face. ]

Don't just hold it like that; you're bleeding all over the place.

[ Quickly, he grabs the closest rag and rushes to his side. He's shaken, a bit pale in the face and still not all the way there from waking up so suddenly. But Noctis takes Regis' hand and quickly wraps it. ]

C'mon, I got it.
kittycaterer: (pic#10964150)

[personal profile] kittycaterer 2017-01-21 04:08 am (UTC)(link)
[ Noctis still has yet to hear of Regis' demise in detail since the fall of Lucis. And while he's experienced in the acts of war and violence, he's yet to truly see the full effects of trauma. His fate has left quite the amount of worry and dread on his shoulders, and perhaps that has somehow hardened him for the violence he has seen on the road. ]

[ But even with that considered, the distance in Regis' gaze and his lack of attention seems to shock the prince. While Noctis applies pressure to the wound and keeps his father's hand held tight, there is concern that something else is bothering the king. ]

Sure of that?

You... Seemed pretty dazed there for a second.

[ He tilts his father's arm, looking from that and the blood that has spilled on the counter. ]

You didn't suddenly become squeemish at the sight of blood, did you?
kittycaterer: (pic#10964155)

[personal profile] kittycaterer 2017-01-21 04:52 am (UTC)(link)
[ Noctis stands in silence for a moment, looking his father over. He briefly tilts his head, noticing that the color in Regis' face is completely gone. He's finding it very hard to believe that his father is fine. With one hand firmly holding the rag bundled around Regis' hand, he leans down to yank their first-aid kit out of the nearby drawer. Thankfully, there are leftovers from the last set of wounds they tended to. ]

Leave it.

[ Noctis tucks the kit under his arm and places his other hand over Regis' again, gesturing with a tilt of his head towards the living room. ]

C'mon. Couch. I'll get this cleaned up and taken care of, and I'll take a shot at handling dinner.

[ Which will likely end in going up in flames, but WHO CARES? Noctis is far too busy trying to guide his father to the couch to care. ]
kittycaterer: (pic#10964187)

[personal profile] kittycaterer 2017-01-25 03:20 am (UTC)(link)
[ He can't help the look of concern that colors him. Noctis has always known his father to be pretty sure of himself, and thus a bit stubborn. It's where he gets it from, after all. And while they haven't spent enough time with each other since before the fall of Insomnia, he knows enough about that look to know it's not normal. That something is up. ]

[ Noctis is forced to stop for a brief moment when Regis attempts to pull away and get back to cleaning. He scoffs, and it's immediate that Regis makes a pained sound. ]

Dad, give it a rest. I'll take care of it.

[ He's not the best at being overly doting. Over time, he has learned to take a bit more responsibility upon himself. But even with it being a rather fresh quality, Noctis has gotten his ass into gear with considering others a bit more during his trip. So he's a bit firmer in guiding his father to the couch and ushering him to sit. ]

Easy.

[ With the first aid kit set on the coffee table, he gently pulls Regis' hand closer to him. Gently, he turns it over, just to check the bleeding. ]

Jeez, you really dug through it.

[ This isn't exactly the father-son activities he wanted. It's been a frequent thing dealing with his loved ones bleeding all over the place. And on him. And it's not fun. But Noctis handles it better this time around, and places the rag over to apply pressure. He holds firmly, waiting for the bleeding to stop. ]

... What's going on?
kittycaterer: (pic#10964190)

[personal profile] kittycaterer 2017-01-25 05:27 am (UTC)(link)
[ Noctis starts to feel heavy with dread, both in the way his father visibly flinches in pain and in the question he asks. He takes a moment to be a bit more careful with the wound, still applying pressure as needed, and checking delicately with a slight lift of the rag. ]

[ His gaze can't quite meet Regis. Not yet. Not when he recalls that look on Ignis' face as he walked into their hotel room with the newspaper. He'd refused to believe it, somehow trying to ask all of these questions in hopes of bringing comfort and settling nerves that would never be soothed. Knowing that his home was destroyed, his kingdom gone and his father murdered in cold blood. But he knows that avoiding it brings no progress, no hope. The prince lifts his eyes to look into his father's, wearing as much resolve as he can. ]

Explosions interrupted the treaty signing. Imperial troops flooded the streets and when the dust cleared?

[ Noctis pauses, swallowing thickly as he looks down again. ]

The king was found dead.

[ Not precisely the exact words. But close. Noctis could likely recite the whole damn headline from memory if he wanted, but putting it in his own words seemed easier. ]

[ He shrugs his shoulders, looking to Regis' hand as he begins to lift the rag. The bleeding has stopped, giving him signal to start cleaning the wound. ]

"Insomnia falls" in big bold letters.

[ Noctis lowers his voice and leans over to the first aid kit, grabbing the necessary tools. ]

Just like that.
kittycaterer: (pic#10964192)

[personal profile] kittycaterer 2017-01-25 06:23 am (UTC)(link)
[ Noctis can't help the additional scoff. More of a "tch" in the face of how jokingly dismissive such a headline like that is. Just like that. Making it sound so easy, when he knew there was so much more to it. And he couldn't have been sure if he would ever really know the entire story. ]

[ He's about to make a comment, fine with discussing how much of a joke the news article was to him. How disappointed he was in it, how simple... As Noctis finishes cleaning the wound, he's forced to pause when the king begins to speak of what truly occurred within the walls of the Citadel. ]

What?

[ His head darts up quick, eyes wide and shocked. The Kingsglaive killed him? Devoted men committed to the cause of protecting the king turned their blades on him? And a General at that? Noctis may not have known the man too well, but he'd known enough to never think this would happen. His heart seems to stop, the color in his face draining. ]

[ Noctis finds that any further words are impossible to him, especially when his mind begins to run a mile a minute. Why would a Glaive seek to kill the king? ]

That... That doesn't make sense.

[ The treaty... The treaty would have put them out of jobs, homes more than likely. He'd known some of them to be refugees, but he'd never really managed to speak with any of them beyond a short "talk" with one that had driven him home just a day before he'd left Insomnia. ]
kittycaterer: (pic#10964170)

[personal profile] kittycaterer 2017-01-25 07:53 am (UTC)(link)
[ It really comes as no surprise that a discussion such as this has come up. In the second chance both he and the king have been given, discovering what happened on that gods-awful day would come to light eventually. Noctis realizes that there really was no way he would have been able to mentally prepare. He tries to bury his focus on bandaging Regis' wound, but his mind feels so heavy and full. ]

[ The protectors of the crown, of the city... Sold themselves out. Noctis can't help but think of Ravus having done essentially the same thing once Tenebrae had been seized. It's all about the power, and nothing about the people and the peace. ]

[ As he rolls the bandage around, he catches a glimpse of the Ring of the Lucii that remains on his finger. While it's rendered useless in terms of power in Hadriel's jurisdiction, it brings a heavy burden upon his own hand. It means so much more than its mere connection to the gods. Noctis tries to will himself to relax as much as he can, but his shoulders are tense. ]

So all of this was inevitable.

[ The realization seems so obvious, but reaching that conclusion is much harder on Noctis' end. For weeks after the fall, he'd pained himself over knowing his father was fully aware of what was to come. It seemed so simple to see it merely as the Empire being let within the Wall, where there was no foreseen end to the war in sight. That those who served within Insomnia were already prepared to tear the kingdom apart regardless. ]

[ Noctis finishes bandaging Regis' hand, setting it at his father's side before he sits back against the couch. He lets out a heavy, labored sigh as his head rolls back against the headrest. ]

[ Yes, this is not an easy conversation in the slightest. ]
kittycaterer: (pic#10964181)

[personal profile] kittycaterer 2017-02-08 08:42 pm (UTC)(link)
[ They both seem to sigh in time to one another; a picture-perfect image of the apple not falling far from the tree. While there may be something uplifting to that quality, Noctis can't find himself capable of reveling in it too much. Knowing that his Kingdom was destined to fall, just as he is destined to be the King that brings light back to the world? It's hard to get comfortable or to find a silver lining. ]

[ But as Regis compliments his handiwork, Noctis is at least able to come down from the dark place that threatens to drag him in again. He has good days and bad days dealing with the weight of Eos, but there are times he can't quite help his negative string of thoughts. For his father, however, he manages a smile. ]

Yeah. Me too.

[ Knowing that he at least has his father through all of this helps. Significantly, actually. He doesn't make a sound to the ruffling of his hair, allowing it without protest. It's moments like these that he has to hang on to. ]

Just hope you and Luna don't get in the habit of getting hurt. Blood stains clothes, you know. You're lucky I wear black normally.
kittycaterer: (pic#10964185)

[personal profile] kittycaterer 2017-02-08 11:28 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Noctis snorts. ]

I'm 20 years old, Dad. I can find myself something to wear.

[ It's endearing, though. And Noctis can't say he's displeased with the slight babying going on here. This is the most time he and Regis have been able to spend together, and he cherishes it. On that note, he chuckles and shrugs his shoulders. ]

Guess I can let it slide. You don't have a throne to fuss over out here, more time to be a dad huh?
kittycaterer: (pic#10964146)

[personal profile] kittycaterer 2017-02-19 12:34 am (UTC)(link)
[ Noctis has a bit of a crooked sort of smile as Regis nervously tries to cover himself. It's not the first time his father has sort of acted as if Noctis is still a little boy, but it's been a long time since he's experienced it. Given that Noctis had chosen to live on his own and try to experience some semblance of normalcy, and how busy Regis has always been with the kingdom, they haven't had much time. ]

I know, dad.

[ The prince stands with his father, reaching over and pats his father on the shoulder affectionately. But his smile sort of fades at the mention of his mother. He'd never known her, given that she passed away shortly after he was born. He's heard about her plenty of times, and it seems like each time, the king is pained to even bring her up. This prompts Noctis to follow his father closely to help him clean. ]

[ He's never faulted Regis for him being so busy, especially considering he's been a single father his entire life. As Noctis stands close by, silent for a moment, he breaks it in favor of keeping the conversation going. ]

I know it's not the first time you've told me, but...

What was mom like?