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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[ look she can enjoy food that isn't sweet!! alisaie loves food in general.. but she is most excited for the dessert, that is true.

she's still happy to take a roll for her plate, however, and she would serve herself the rest but their tittering attendants will have none of it - they serve them both themselves, heaping their plates with steaming vegetables and potatoes and thick cuts of honeyed ham, a small bowl of corn soup and a little plate of chopped fruit. it's all far too much for them to eat in one sitting, but there will surely be delicious leftovers for days..

lifting her fork and knife, she begins to tuck in. ]

Well.. I'm glad you think so.

[ she says through a smile that is almost shy, the tips of her ears still flushed pink. she does not miss that little comment - before i got like this - hinting at her suspicions that he was in fact a man once, but.. now is not the time to latch onto that, to try to dig up his past. another time. another night.

after a good mouthful of ham and potatoes alisaie sighs audibly. ]

This is outstanding.

[ the food is always wonderful, but truly they've outdone themselves this night. ]

[ They have outdone themselves, and even if Prompto can't exactly...taste any of it, he can tell, too. He and Alisaie weren't the only ones looking forward to this night. He's heard the castle's denizens murmuring excitedly, hopeful that this is it, that the moment draws near where the spell will be broken, and they will all become human again. It would be untrue to say that the thought hasn't crossed Prompto's mind as well, but it was hardly his motivation for asking Alisaie here tonight. He still isn't quite ready to hope for something as grand as that, but maybe, just maybe, he can start to hope for it soon.

And in the meantime, he'll enjoy tonight, and try to make it as special for her as it is for him. ]

It is, isn't it? [ He wishes...he could taste it, too, but he isn't going to focus on that tonight. ] I think the staff has taken a shine to you...

[ Given how many of her favorite dishes are among what they have prepared. But they're not the only ones who have taken a shine to her. ]

I'm...glad you like it.

[ alisaie is quick to wave her hands. ]

That's only because you were so grumpy before I arrived. They had no other options!

[ she's teasing, but it's also kind of true. she could've been a useless bore with the personality of wet cardboard and they still would have likely been happy to serve her and get to know her. still, she smiles nonetheless. ]

.. but I am fond of them, at well.

[ they are kind, all of them. each one of them is different, with his or her own personality, hopes, dreams, loves, hates, but they are all so.. good. they all try so hard, and have so much hope. it is impossible not to grow fond of them. ]

[ He scoffs at her comment, but only in jest, because he remembers full well what it was like before she got here. How colorless and dull the world had become. But...it isn't like that anymore. Not so long as she remains with him.

A pang of guilt wells up within him, reminding him that they only reason that she is here is because he made her his prisoner. But that is yet another thing that would be better off left unspoken of right now. ]

Alright, alright, guilty as charged...but I suppose...that just goes to show how much life you brought back here when you arrived. Back...to me, as well.

[ Surely, she must realize it, that the thing that has wrought this great change in him is her. ]

[ she's not so surprised to hear him say such a thing, but she is still very touched to hear it, even if she's convinced that he is exaggerating. alisaie, of all people, has no such power - she's simply the one who happened to be here. it is coincidence and little else. ]

You give me far too much credit, and too little for yourself.

[ mayhaps she was the catalyst, but his own choices have brought him here too - no one can change someone but themselves, and he has taken these steps by his own choice and seen them through by his own strength. he is her warden, yes, but there are so many things that she does not know, there is tragedy written into these walls, and mayhaps it does not excuse his actions but it certainly explains them, and allows her to feel empathy for him. to know that there is much more to this than good and bad, right and wrong.

after a thoughtful moment, she lifts her wine glass and holds it toward him. ]

To us, then.

[ It isn't is his nature to think he had anything to do with it, but...then again, wasn't that part of the problem that got him into this mess in the first place? He had spent so much time thinking about what others wanted from him that he never thought about what he wanted himself. It doesn't seem right to take credit for it, when nothing would have changed if Alisaie hadn't come along, but...

Tonight is a night for being better, stronger. So Prompto lifts his glass to her, a warm smile upon his features. ]

To...us.

[ They're an us now?

He tinks his glass against her own, before turning it up against his lips and drinking. ]

[ she doesn't mean us in a romantic way!! she's just trying to respect them, how far they have come both as people, and as a unit. he has grown, and so has she, and that is what they are trying to tell one another - that they have come to this point together is testament to just what they have achieved.

.. not to say that she doesn't have the dokis too, but whatever, baka!!

their glasses clink, and alisaie tips hers back as well to take a healthy drink. unsurprisingly, it is good wine, aged for who knows how long in a luxurious dark enchanted castle; it slides down with ease, warming her from the inside out, before she's back to her plate again. ]

I wonder just what they have cooked up for dessert..

[ what?? she has priorities.. ]

[ Look, he's just surprised to hear them labeled as an "us" in any sense, he didn't assume a romantic context!!! Though he didn't exactly ask him to join him tonight platonically. Is he...courting her now? How is it possible that he is courting anyone?

A nervous chuckle shakes loose from him as he meekly meets her gaze from across the dining table. ]

Oh, I imagine they've pulled out all the stops for you.

[ And what do you know, they've finished dinner and here come the platters full of desserts!! ]

[ what good timing!! alisaie dips her head in thanks as their plates are ferried away, though her expression quickly shifts to one of awe when they begin to roll out the desserts. they certainly have pulled out all of the stops.

like with their dinner, there is far too much here for her to ever hope to finish in one sitting, but the servants are all but beaming as they bring it out, eagerly describing each dish. fresh blueberry cobbler heaped with streusel, strawberry shortcake with thick homemade cream and fat, fresh strawberries, colorful cupcakes, three different pies, several plates of different flavor cookies cut into cute, charming little shapes - and of course, an enormous, grandiose marble cake, impeccably frosted and decorated with precious sugar-spun animals and fairies. ]

Oh..

[ she says, breathlessly, then breaks into a bright, easy laugh. ]

I hardly know where to start!

[ Even if this dining table were full of people, they would be hard-pressed to finish all the desserts that the staff bring out, but Prompto wasn't kidding when he said they would pull out all the stops for her. The castle's inhabitants have taken a shine to her, after all, and they know her fondness for sweets. If Alisaie wanted to spend the rest of the evening sampling everything brought to her, Prompto wouldn't entirely blame her. ]

I think...I'll start with one of these.

[ He plucks a delectable-looking chocolate eclair off of one of the platters. Whatever, he can pretend like he tastes it, he can imagine how good it's going to taste!! ]

You're going to spend the rest of the evening here, aren't you?

[ He says through a chuckle before biting the eclair in half. ]

Edited 2019-10-03 01:21 (UTC)

[ well he might not be able to appreciate the taste, but he can at least still enjoy the texture, the flaky pastry, the smooth cream.. alisaie bites zealously into a delectable looking cream puff while the servants take it upon themselves to cut her a slice of.. everything, and crowd the small plates around her.

gods, its so good, the sound she makes is absolutely sinful. ]

Oh..

[ she moans, closing her eyes for a few moments to just.. enjoy the taste, the feel. the pastry is flaky and soft and buttery, the cream smooth and not too sweet, packed with vanilla flavor. shes quick to take another bite. ]

You truly have outdone yourselves..

[ Oh...........w-well, she's certainly enjoying it, isn't she? Never mind how suggestive that sound she makes is. Never mind that his cheeks warm a little!!! If only he had been turned into a giant pastry instead of a robot... ]

They have, haven't they?

[ Down goes the rest of the eclair, and next up is a slice of cake. ]

We all just...wanted tonight to be special for you, Alisaie.

[ yeah tbh if he were a giant pastry she would have had her mouth on him on day 1. but she still wants to bang him so?? he'll have to be satisfied.. even if he has no tongue. or dick. ]

For.. me?

[ halfway through a slice of pie, alisaie glances up in clear surprise, her cheeks tinged a light pink. she's hardly good with so much attention, especially this much, but she had not considered tonight her night so much as she had considered it their night. hers, and his, yes, but also the castle's denizens as well - they were so looking forward to this, to working toward something so grand, to enjoying themselves.

her gaze flickers downward almost demurely. ]

I am hardly deserving of such extravagance. I only wanted.. everyone to enjoy this night. You as well.

[ It may be all of their night, yes, but there's no question in his mind that it wouldn't be happening were she not here. If she hadn't come along and inspired change in him, in all of them, if she hadn't reminded them how to live. Her humility has never been more apparent. She truly doesn't realize just how special she is.

Thoughtlessly, he reaches over to tuck his curled fingers beneath her chin to draw her gaze back up to his own. ]

Believe me, I'm enjoying it. We all are.

[ He can only hope the same goes for her, even if...the way she's gone after the desserts is pretty suggestive that she is... ]

[ his hands are so strong, so large and powerful, and yet so gentle when he slides his fingers beneath her chin. alisaie feels her cheeks burning hot, but she can only smile for him, warm and gentle and fond. ]

Good. So am I.

[ even without the pastries, she would be. even without the grand table or the fancy gown or the sparkling trinkets in her hair. they are all together, all smiling and happy, and that is what matters - the castle is so very different from what she remembers, how it was when she first arrived, its windows black and boarded, its halls silent and dark. everything is bright now, clean and flooded with light, full of noise and life.

and he is.. so happy. it warms her heart to see how much he is grown, how easily he smiles now. at last, alisaie clears her throat, gesturing to the enormous cake. ]

Shall we cut the cake?

[ His gaze lingers a moment longer, savoring the simple satisfaction of looking into her eyes, of looking into her eyes and not seeing fear or disgust but warmth and familiarity in them. Mayhaps this night ends with them continuing to be friends, and really, that alone is more than he could ever ask for or deserve. He would be beyond himself with that outcome. But if there's even the slightest chance that it could lead to something more...

Well, his feelings are absolute, anyway. Were she to leave tomorrow, surely he would love her for the rest of his life, and be glad to have met her, for how she showed him how to smile again, how she reminded him how to love.

His hand drops away at last so he can pick up the cake cutter. ]

Aye, together.

[ He'll wait for her to put her hand on the other side of the handle, uwu... ]

[ hehe how cute..

alisaie does just that, her hand over his (uwu) so that they can cut into the cake together, carving away two big slices for them both, though alisaie is also sure to cut many more slices for everyone else, as well. they might be enjoying serving them, but they deserve the cake as much as anyone. ]

It's so beautiful, I almost feel guilty for cutting into it..

[ the decorations are exquisite, after all, and the spun sugar faeries and animals are so cute and well crafted that she could not bear to break them. though maybe she will eat just one..

soon enough she's ready to dig in. ]

Almost.

[ Almost, because no matter how beautiful the cake is, he knows that won't stop her from eating it. He can't blame her, either. Flavorless though it might be to him, the texture alone looks deliciously tantalizing, and while he lets her take the first bite (is she going to make erotic noises again), he follows soon after, finishing his slice off far too soon. ]

Now that was truly the icing on the cake. Literally, and figuratively.

[ Ah, he can make terrible jokes again, he truly has recovered his old self. ]

Mmhmm.

[ she's gonna make the erotic noise for every dessert she eats, it's a given..

like him, she's also through her slice in record time, then reaching for a second, which she also polishes off with some haste.. though by her last few bites she is definitely lagging. after several courses of food and dessert she is at last beginning to max out her belly capacity.

with a hard sigh, she sits back, gazing across the many desserts still spread before them. ]

What I would not give for a second stomach right now.

[ she such a fatty, wants more cupcake!! ]

[ When Alisaie goes for a second, he does the same, and though he could go for a third (the benefits of not really having a stomach, the food just disappears or something, he doesn't poop, don't make me think about it), he doesn't want to spur her to continue going when it might make her sick. She's so tiny, her stomach can only be so big... ]

Heh...don't worry, there'll be leftovers to enjoy for the next week and then some, no doubt.

[ He pauses, then, hesitating, as the staff begins to clear their dessert plates away. He meets her gaze again, his own expression searching hers, his eyes nervous with anticipation. ]

I don't suppose...you need a moment before some...d-dancing, do you?

[ For as nice as the dinner was, the dance is what he has been looking forward to the most. He wants to take her hand and hold her close and spin her beneath his arm. He wants to look into her eyes and feel the exhilarating rush of being so close to her. It's almost time...

So long as she is ready and still willing, anyway. ]

[ her stomach is a black hole everything she puts in it is fed to the evil gremlin gods she serves it's fine. and you're thinking about his robopoops all on your own without my input so don't blame me!!

it's still so strange sometimes though, to hear him stammer like that, to see this big, powerful automaton stutter over his own words like a nervous child. but she is nervous, too. this is all so.. fancy, so formal, and alisaie has never been particularly well suited to such environments, however much she might have been exposed to them when she was young. shes lost count of how many times she had disappointed and embarrassed her parents..

but oddly enough, his nerves ease her nerves, for they are nervous together, she does not need to worry that he will judge her when they are each just as anxious as the other. ]

No, I am ready.

[ she says through a tremulous smile, though mayhaps she should have said otherwise, mayhaps he needs more time.. but they could dance around the subject all night if they allowed themselves, so alisaie takes the initiative. pushing her chair back she rises to her feet again, smoothing her bodice and shaking out her heavy skirts for wont of something to do with her hands. ]

[ If she's ready, then there is no reason to hold back, but he is still a bundle of nerves as he pushes himself to his feet and moves around the table to reach her side. This is it...the moment he has been anticipating ever since she accepted his invitation for tonight, the moment he still can't believe he has come to. With an anxious smile to match her own, he offers her one of his massive hands. ]

A-alright, then...shall we?

[ The ballroom is only a short jaunt away, and while there may not be a singing teapot, there will be a string quartet ready to play for them until their feet are sore, if it comes to it.

He can't believe this is...really happening. ]

[ she is just as nervous, and her hand is trembling just slightly when she slides it into his, her free arm curling beneath his own.

alisaie isn't sure just what she has to be so anxious about. they have grown so close, he is her dear friend, they have talked about so many, many things, stayed up late into the night countless times with one another. she is comfortable with him, with being around him, near him. but this is.. something different, she supposes, there is an undertone here that neither of them can deny, a pull, an attraction that.. disturbs her a little, if she is honest, given the true, dark nature of their arrangement - yet the heart wants what the heart wants. he makes her happy. he makes her smile. most importantly.. he has changed.

they walk together, and the ballroom opens up over her head, drawing a soft sigh from her lips. she's seen this room only once or twice, she does not have much occasion to visit a place such as this, but the last she looked upon it it was dark and thick with dust, its windows hung with ratty black cloth, its floor cloaked in shadow. but now.. now the windows are open, clear and clean and shining, and the evening sky beyond them bleeds with the color of late sunset, stars beginning to wink to life in the bands of blue high above the deep red horizon. orange light floods through the tall windows, augmented by a thousand candles set into the polished chandeliers above, and the parquet floor has been buffed to perfection. it's immaculate. it's beautiful. they have worked so very hard.. she cannot even find words. ]

Oh..

[ she murmurs after a moment, shaken from her awed reverie when the strings begin to call a gentle melody.

slipping her hand from his, alisaie draws away to turn toward him, dipping into a low, elegant curtsy. ]

Ser.

[ It's truly a spectacular sight, the ballroom lit up and cleaned and adorned in such a way that he hasn't seen in gods only know how long. When this is all over, he is going to have to take the time to thank each and every one of the staff individually for all the hard work that went into making tonight special. He simply could not have done it without them, and he knows full well just how much this means to all of them as well.

Which means he must give it his all as well, that he must do everything he can to break this spell, that he must...lay his heart bare before this girl in front of him, curtsying as the music cues up.

Still trembling, he bends at the middle, greeting her in a formal bow. He doesn't creak or groan, and there's no pain from the gesture. He can appreciate how far he has come, too, especially now, when they are surrounded by such liveliness, when he feels an ardent need to live life to its fullest. ]

My lady. May I have this dance?

[ He stretches out his hand for her to take, as the music begins to swell. (There's an orchestra now.) ]

[ wow that string quartet sure sounds like an orchestra!! this castle is amazing.

a waltz, though - all right, that's easy enough. alisaie.. definitely shirked off more than one of her dancing lessons when she was young, but she can manage a waltz without too much worry. ]

You may.

[ slipping her hand into his offered one, alisaie draws near and slides her other arm over his broad shoulders. he's quite a bit taller than her, so she can only reach so far, but that does not seem to matter to either of them. they begin to move, to dance, and suddenly everything else is falling away - her anxiety and fear, her worry that she might not remember how to dance, her awkwardness.

this is simple. this is easy. ]

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thanks dw

]

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