fearlessly | batb part two: electric boogaloo

batb part two: electric boogaloo

[ alisaie is not afraid of the woods.

truthfully, alisaie is not afraid of much at all - not the things that most are afraid of, at least. she does not fear the dark, or wolves, or bandits. she does not fear loud storms or knives in the dark of faerie tale monsters stalking haunted forests. what she fears is being along. grieving. losing those she loves.

and that is why she is here. alisaie has ridden tirelessly through the night, driving baptiste hard over the hard, wintry earth, her breath frozen in her lungs, the frigid wind stinging her cheeks and ears and eyes. alphinaud is her entire world. he is all that she has, all of her family that remains, and the thought of living her life without him, moving forward alone..

she would rather not move forward at all.

and so she will find him, regardless of he consequence, heedless of the potential danger, for without him, she has no life at all.

baptiste remembers the way, and though she can feel the tension and fear in the body of the horse beneath her, still they press on, hooves slamming hard into the earth, empty branches pulling at her hair, whipping over their heads. the forest seems to go on and on, deeper and deeper into darkness and mist, until at long, long last the space opens up, and a dark castle looms ahead, its twisted spires climbing into the gray sky, its gloomy edifice frowning down as she approaches the wrought iron gates choked with decayed vines.

alisaie is not afraid of much, yet still the sight of it sends a chill down her spine.

what is this place? she's heard of no such estate as this - a castle, so close to the village? how have there been no stories? no history? she has ridden less than a day to find her brother, not far from home at all, and yet.. there is nothing in their books about this great castle, no tall tales, nothing at all. it is a phantom. still, somehow it feels familiar to her.. like a memory of a dream's dream.

exhaling a shudder, alisaie slides from baptiste's back, leading him to an icy, overgrown brook for a drink, looping the reins over a strong, bare branch before at last she approaches the castle. it's silent, sinister, but she.. she has no choice. if this is where alphinaud is, then she must press forward. the rusted gates groan, splitting the silence, and alisaie approaches the great doors, the old rotten oak swinging beneath her weight as she slips carefully into the great, dark foyer. ]

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[ by the time he enters alisaie is already sitting up at the edge of her bed, fully dressed - not in comfortable bedclothes, but in her usual practical dress, rolling her sleeves up to the elbow. her boots are unlaced beside her feet, ready to be stepped in. it's clear that she does not mean to languish in bed any longer. ]

Very well, just as I was yesterday.

[ she says through a wry smile. truthfully, she could have been out of bed days ago, but she was not blind to the fact that it seemed to give him joy to be helpful, to tend to her, and though she does not think it was his fault that she ended up the way she did, she knows that he feels guilty for it nonetheless. it likely assuages his guilt to take care of her as best he can.

but she has her limits, and her skin has been itching for days, now. she's ready to feel the sun on her face and the fresh air in her lungs, but she'll take a moment to stuff some breakfast in her face. ]

More importantly, when are you going to let me tend to that mess?

[ she says, gesturing in the general direction of his legs. if he thinks she has not noticed his gimping around, he would surely be wrong.. ]

[ Ah, look at her go, daintily stuffing breakfast pastries into her face, she is truly such an inspiration to him...

He goes stiff when she draws attention to his legs, though perhaps it would be asking too much to hope that she hadn't noticed his injuries, such as they are. Since his body doesn't heal like a human's would, the immediacy to tend to his repairs can easily get pushed aside, especially when he has better things to be doing. But even before Alisaie came to the castle, he still wasn't great about his maintenance. There's only so many times he can replace the gears in his body before it begins to feel pointless.

And anyway, he's the one that's supposed to be taking care of her, not the other way around!! She is already doing more than enough for him just by tolerating his presence, so he waves a hand dismissively. ]

Oh, what, that? It's nothing...barely even noticed it was loose.

[ Just like...so many other loose places on his body right now. ]

Pay it no mind. I'll take care of it soon.

[ what a loose boy..

alisaie levels him with a look that is both very weary, and very sharp all at once. nevermind that he's three times her height and weight, if looks could kill he would be a pile of scrap on the carpet. ]

Are you lying to me? Do you think I am that unobservant?

[ she says with quite a bit of bite, but she's not really angry, mostly she just wants to make him feel sheepish. holding a croissant in her mouth, alisaie leans to tug on her boots, beginning to lace them up tightly, her words muffled behind the flaky pastry. ]

We'll see to them now, and I'll hear no more argument.

[ That look certainly does wither any argument he might have made. She has made herself perfectly clear. They are going to work on his repairs right now, apparently, and much as he might like to insist that it's really okay and that she shouldn't worry, he can't deny it would be...nice to get it all taken care of...

...it's just been a long time since someone else took care of him, even if Alisaie has already been doing just that, in deeply meaningful ways.

After a moment, he deflates, his metal body sagging, and he relents. ]

A-at least finish your breakfast first. I've waited this long, I can make it a few minutes more.

[ Even if she sure has inhaled most of it already. Chew your food, Alisaie!!! ]

[ she doesn't have time for chewing!! she's finally out of bed!!

but she has a solution for this, too. with her boots laced up she stands, smoothing her skirts, and turns to lift the tray into her hands, her smile saccharine. ]

I'll take it with us to the workshop.

[ she all but chirps, already moving past him and toward the door, because that was a statement of fact, not something up for debate. ]

Hurry along.

[ THIS CHEEK...

But exasperating as it might be, Prompto has to do his best to smother a smile as he follows along behind her down to the workshop. She isn't taking no for an answer, she isn't even taking hold on for an answer, and that is touching, in its own way. Maybe one day it won't feel so novel and strange to have someone looking out for him like this, but for now, it is still fresh and new, a marvel and a wonder.

It's not too far of a journey to the dusty, unfrequented workshop, the bright morning sun filtering through particles in the air as they bustle into the room. ]

Have you...much experience with machinery?

[ It's not that he doesn't trust her!!! He's just, you know, curious... ]

[ it's a legitimate question, really - this is his body she'll be working on, one would want to know if their surgeon is experienced, naturally. however.. ]

.. only a little.

[ she and her brother live alone, and of course it has fallen to her to see to broken carriage axles and malfunctioning stovepipes - for all alphinaud is quite smart, he has more a head for numbers and theory and memory than he does for physical action. alisaie handles the repairs. and while a broken clock is far more rudimentary than a fully functioning automaton, what other choice does he have? it can't be easy to do these sort of repairs on oneself. ]

But I've done quite a lot of research, and I am very confident. I'm rather good with my hands.

[ heh.. ]

[ O-oh, well then... :flushed:

It won't be the first time they've touched, and honestly, a practical reason like this should be a lot easier to handle, unlike when she has held his hand before as a sign of support and solidarity. It's...a moment he still thinks about a lot, honestly, more than maybe he should, but it still never cease to amaze him. She never ceases to amaze him.

In any case, the fact that he cannot blush does not do him many favors when he trips over his own words, moving uncertainly towards the work table. ]

I-I, um...okay. I trust you.

[ There's no question of that. So he swings himself up onto the bench, watching her. ]

But if you have any questions...I kind of know my way around this heap of junk.

[ they reach the workshop, and she sets the breakfast tray aside, taking one last big mouthful of croissant and a slurp of tea before she's approaching him, chuckling behind her teeth. ]

I'm sure you do.

[ flipping the nearby toolbox open, alisaie surveys the contents, then glances toward his legs while she lays several tools out on a cloth beside him. ]

Just tell me if..

[ a beat. ]

Do you.. feel pain?

[ she'd not stopped to consider it before now - he seems so inorganic, but there are parts about him that seem so.. human. it feels invasive to ask him such a thing, but still.. ]

[ Ah...right. She wouldn't know, would she? They've never talked much about his form before. They've never talked much about him before. That is still new and unusual, but he doesn't see any harm in telling her. Even if it isn't the most comfortable subject in the world.

Then again, most subjects are for him. ]

I...yes. It's not quite the same as...human pain. It's...sharper.

[ It's a difficult thing to explain, but regardless of what it feels like, he does feel it. And though he's still yet to expressly say he used to be human, she must have put it all together by now, right? He hasn't been subtle about it since she entered the west wing. ]

[ that's not necessarily the answer she wanted to hear, but it is what it is, and there's naught to be done. her expression falls a little, but it won't keep her from her work; if it hurts, it hurts. sometimes things must hurt if they are to heal. ]

I'll try to be gentle.

[ she says, softly, and begins to set to work, taking a few moments to examine both of his legs - mostly his knees and ankles - before she begins to carefully restore it. it's foreign, but it actually comes quite easily to her once she begins, alisaie was not jesting when she said she was good with her hands, that things like this come to her easily. she realigns him and tightens his bolts, reinforces weak ends, all as gently as she can. she does not stop even to frown up at him. ]

You need to take better care of yourself. Much of this could use replacing.

[ He trusts her to be gentle, too, though he can't help but worry that there may be some hiccups in the repairs. Even if she is good with her hands as she says, his structure still can't be like anything she's ever worked on before. Is this really a good idea? Should he be walking her through it more closely?

But it soon becomes clear that his worries on the matter are unfounded. Alisaie is, indeed, gentle, her fingers careful and precise as they tweak and adjust his odds and ends. There are a few twinges of pain here and there, it's unavoidable, just as it is when cleaning a wound, but there is something...undeniably soothing about her working on him in this way as well. Soon enough, his eyes are half-lidded as he watches her work. It's almost...mesmerizing, to be cared for with such precision. ]

'Spose so... [ He admits, though with some cheek. ] I don't imagine there's a shop in-town that sells replacement parts for automatons, however.

[ He's kind of stuck with what he's got. ]

Hmm..

[ the sound of her hum does not seem satisfied, nor does her frown, or the way her brow furrows, but she has no real answer to offer him right now. he isn't wrong, it's not as if parts like his can be found just anywhere, certainly not down at the local shop, but still.. there must be some way, even if she must learn to build them herself. ]

Well, that's all the more reason to take care of the ones you have, isn't it?

[ she chides, with a knowing look, before she's stepping back and rubbing the sweat from her brow with greasy knuckles. ]

How does it feel? Too tight?

[ Her question raises one of his own that he's had about this form, that if he persisted for long enough for it to break down completely, would he...still continue to be, somehow? That had been part of the curse, that age could not claim his life, but there had to be a limit on this form he was given, right? It couldn't last forever.

Even if it already seems like it has.

But that's not something he wants to think about right now, instead, he extends one leg, rotating it at the knee and ankle, then doing the same to the other, before giving her a smile of approval. ]

Good as new. Thank you, Alisaie. You ought to be a mechanic.

[ She's done as well, if not better, than he's ever done in repairing himself. ]

Oh, I wouldn't go that far..

[ she says through a light chuckle, eyeing her work again to see how it performs when he moves. looks all right. ]

Leg joints are rather rudimentary. Not so different from a carriage wheel. Just.. don't damage anything more vital and your limbs.

[ patching up his knees and ankles is one thing, but anything more complicated, his servomechanisms, his core.. she wouldn't be in any way confident doing such delicate work. she has no idea what is even ticking away beneath his breastplate at all, she cant even begin to imagine what lies at his heart.. he is like no one she has ever seen before.

straightening up, she takes his left arm in her hand, extending it to peer at his elbows. they're not in as terrible shape as his legs were, but while we're here.. ]

[ Not even Prompto can fully comprehend what it is that makes him tick, because even if he's peeled back his breastplate, even with his inclination towards machinery it mystifies him. But then again, it was created with magic, so it's not all that surprising. Maybe with her skill in the subject, she's just the person he would want looking at it, should anything malfunction.

But he needn't worry about that right now. No heat rises in his cheeks, but he still feels flushed when she takes his arm in her hands to inspect it, her fingers grazing warm over his cool, metal frame. ]

I'll see what I can do about that. [ A beat. ] Did you just compare me to a carriage?

[ Excuse you his leg joints are way better than any old carriage wheel!!! ]

[ that's.. a fair point that she hadn't necessarily considered, but the magics that hold him together must be quite powerful and complicated. no doubt one wrong move could badly hurt him, or worse.. let's just hope that he's never badly hurt anywhere that matters.

:) ]

I suppose I did.

[ she says, and laughs, while carefully tightening the loose bolts at his elbow, then reaching for the next. moons ago she would have never expected that it would be so easy to touch him.. that she would ever touch him at all, or speak with him in this way. she never would have expected any of this. ]

Don't look so insulted! The comparisons are hardly my fault.

[ She isn't the only one constantly surprised by the progress they've made together. He still carries a fair bit of guilt, because why he no longer monitors her and if she left, he wouldn't stop her, he still hasn't...expressly told her she is free to go. Even if it is unspoken between them, he should probably make it explicit. But part of him is also strangely terrified at the thought of her leaving. It's odd, how after so many years of being alone, all it takes is the presence of another person for a few short months to make him crave company over solitude once again.

But then again, that might not be the case with just anyone. There is something about Alisaie...something special, that makes his (proverbial) heart race when he thinks at her, that makes his breath catch in his throat when she looks at him with those dark blue eyes. She has enchanted him, in so many ways...

He shakes his head, dismissing the thought. Such things aren't meant for him. ]

No, but you didn't have to draw attention to it. Have you ever seen a finer automaton than me? Be honest.

[ This is a trap because he is the ONLY automaton she's seen, heheh!! ]

[ he might not know it, but this is.. something they share. alisaie might be rather open with him now, but she does not generally make friends easily, and before arriving here the only person she ever spent any real time with was her brother. she's never been particularly gregarious or easy to get along with, and it takes a great deal of time for her to grow comfortable around someone.. and yet here she is. here they both are. ]

What if I say that I have?

[ she says through a wry smile, though she soon shakes her head. ]

You and I both know that I haven't, you smug brat. I have, in fact, never seen a finer automaton.

[ despite her words, of course, she's smiling through them, and it isn't long before she's extending his arms carefully to test the joints. ]

Does it feel all right?

[ Though it's meant as a jest, and he does chuckle softly at it, and he kind of...set her up for it, it's still so flattering to hear such words about him in her voice. Even if she does call him a smug brat...

With bright eyes, he nods to her, stretching out and flexing his fingers before forming a fist with his hand. ]

Feels great. Thank you, Alisaie. I'll try not to put it off so long next time.

[ Key word being "try" here. ]

See that you don't, or there shall be hell to pay.

[ she'll have a whole lot to say about it if he lets himself get into such a state again!! and there are few things more frightening than alisaie when she is enraged.. ]

One more thing.

[ from beside the toolbox, alisaie lifts something wrapped in cloth, peeling it back to reveal a decently sized plain jar - when she opens it, he'll find that it's filled with a thick, silky black oily grease. her cheeks and ears flush a pale pink. ]

I.. made this for you, before..

[ a general gesture. before they fought. before she ran from the castle. ]

I imbued it with crushed fire crystals, I think it will help ward off the chill from your joints.

[ Oh...oh.

His expression softens (which is saying something, because it was already pretty soft), his brows lifting in gentle surprise as she explains the jar. She...went through all that trouble for him? And before, when he was still distant? Before he had begun to treat her truly like a friend? It's...

It's difficult to take in, and a sharp, wistful pang tightens in his chest as he peers down at the jar that she hands to him. When was the last time he was the recipient of a gift? When was the last time someone thought to give him something? And once again, he hardly deserves it, but he isn't going to refuse, of course. It's just...a lot to process, and he falls silent for a moment, lost in wonder as he peers at the jar, and then up at her face. ]

Alisaie, I...

[ He is at a loss for words, truly. Swallowing thickly, he reaches out to take the jar from her, a tremulous smile breaking over his face, as big as his features will allow. ]

...thank you. Thank you so much...I will put it to good use, I promise.

[ he's silent for so long that alisaie begins to worry that perhaps she has done something wrong - that she has overstepped, or that he does not like it, or.. or any number of things. she's learned so much about him, she knows that he is far softer and kinder than he might appear, but he can still be unpredictable; had she misstepped..?

but then he smiles, and it's a lovely thing to see; alisaie exhales the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. ]

You're welcome. It was nothing.

[ imbuing fire magic into a pot of grease was hardly a difficult task for her, after all. ]

Well, give it a try.

[ they've gotten much closer, but lubing him up herself is a step they're not ready for.. ]

[ Not yet, wink wonk... ]

O-oh, right, of course —

[ Opening the jar eagerly, he dips in two of his steel fingers to draw out a glob of the grease, before reaching between his plate around his arm to rub it gently around the joint. It may not even be that cold in here, but the relief is all but instantaneous, bringing warmth where there has long been aching cold.

A soft, quiet sigh escapes him, before he nods. ]

...Um — it's wonderful. Just hits the spot...

[ More than he can rightly say. Would it hold up out in the elements? ]

[ she has no idea how it will work out, if he will even feel the difference at all - testing it on her own skin only really goes so far, after all, she cannot know how it will work for him. but his reaction says more than enough, even before he speaks. alisaie's relief is palpable. shed been so worried that it would have no effect at all, or worse - that it would harm him in some way, but it seems that it has worked out.

alisaies smile brightens, and she begins to wipe her hands on the cloth the jar had been wrapped in. ]

Oh, I'm so glad it didn't set you on fire.

[ was that a possibility?? .. perhaps. ]

Shall we see how it stands up to the weather?

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