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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[ 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. ]

[ It has been years and years since Prompto has had any occasion to dance, and even when he did, he wasn't exactly...good at it. But he's been practicing, asking some of the servants to fill in and help him with his footwork, and so fortunately, he won't be stepping on her toes (thankfully, as that would no doubt be extremely painful). His not exactly graceful, but once they get into the swing of it, it becomes much easier to just...fall into the rhythm of the music, and move in tandem with her. For how different in height the two of them are, it's surprisingly easy to dance with her, like some how...they just fit together.

So they dance. He leads her in this simple waltz, leading her into a spin when he has the chance, before drawing her back into his arms. He feels warm and breathless, his smile unwavering. ]

I thought you said you didn't attend your dance lessons.

[ He wouldn't guess as much, with the graceful way she moves. But then again, she could probably be tromping around and he would still find it graceful and lovely. ]

[ yeah tbh she could fall on her face and he'd think her graceful and lovely.

actually he'd probably laugh at her. but still. to her credit, alisaie is far more elegant than i often give her credit for, even if it is usually on the battlefield with her rapier, rather than on the ballroom in soft pink slippers, but nevertheless even if she is a little rusty, once she finds her comfort zone everything is easy. she's no longer fixated on the steps and which needs come next, but instead simply.. dancing. with him. enjoying the music, and the movement.

her laugh is easy as she sweeps into a spin beneath his arm, her skirts flaring against the shining parquet floor, before she's moving in close to him again. ]

I had to attend some, or my mother would have skinned me alive. I only skipped as many as I could get away with..

[ She pulls near again, and he smiles, he smiles so easily in away that not so long ago he would have thought impossible. And to be honest, a lot about this still seems impossible. Not that she could become dear to him, because Prompto has always been able to easily form attachments to others, but rather that he could become dear to her. It's too good to be true. He doesn't deserve. And yet, when they are here together like this, he cannot deny what he feels in his heart, what he knows to be true. ]

Heh...you've always one things your own way, haven't you?

[ She's such an individual. He certainly has never met anyone like her before. Someone so sweet and clever and brave and wonderful. ]

[ ..well, individual is certainly one way to describe her. alisaie's cheeks flush pink and she drops her gaze, dark lashes fluttering against her cheeks. ]

I suppose so, much to the chagrin of my family.

[ she admits, looking sheepish, her gaze flicking back up to his face almost demurely. ]

I hardly act as a well bred young lady should, after all.

[ he has seen her stuff croissants down her mouth and throw snowballs into his face. he sure knows how she... is. ]

[ Boy, does he know it, but Prompto has never put much stock into well-bred behavior, anyway. What's important is that she's comfortable being herself, and...that's something he admires about her, something he struggled with himself, for so very, very long. ]

Maybe not, but you act just the way that Alisaie should.

[ His smile hooks in one corner, as he squeezes her hand gently within his own. ]

Besides, I like you just the way you are.

[ And then, a moment passing, he catches himself— ]

N-not that that...should matter! I'm just...adding my voice.

[ alisaie's chuckle is warm and fond, the hint of tight anxiety in her expression ebbing immediately. ]

No, no it's all right. It's.. nice to hear someone say that.

[ because no, alisaie does not necessarily need or want anyone's approval to be who she is, it is nonetheless.. very refreshing to hear. all her life she was so often told that she needed to be something else, that she had to fit herself into this little box that was what was expected of her, and that was difficult. she's too wild.

he is, in fact, one of the very few people in her life that has ever said such a thing to her. that has accepted her for who and what she is without trying to mild her to fit whatever standards they might impose. for all their relationship has been strange and tumultuous, this is not something that she has forgotten. ]

[ As with her, his nerves ebb away all but immediately. He hasn't overstepped some invisible boundary, and he's glad for it. The music falls into a lull between numbers, and Prompto lifts his hand from her waist to gently brush over her cheek. ]

You deserve to hear it, and so much more, with...with every breath I have.

[ He owes her so much, and there may be no way he could ever pay her back, but at the very least, he can reaffirm what he sees in her, how very special she is. Why does he get the feeling that she isn't used to hearing it? How could anyone not appreciate her for who she is?

It's just so plain to him. ]

[ his cool fingers touch her cheek, and alisaie feels the heat rising to her face, flushing her ears, but she can only smile. for all her independent streak might sound romantic and wild and exciting, it isn't always so inspiring. she can be stubborn, impatient, and reckless.. and he's certainly seen it, all the bad that comes along with her willful nature.

yet still he accepts it, and encourages it. it makes her heart swell with warmth in her breast.

the music slows now, and alisaie says nothing, because words could not suffice as easily as actions could. so instead she leans in close, and rests her head against the crook of his shoulder, her fingers weaving more closely through his own as they move, her eyes fluttering shut. ]

[ For a moment, he worries that he's said too much, that he is making himself too transparent by speaking to her in such a way, but...she must have surmised the truth for herself by now, right? She must know how he feels about her. He didn't ask her here tonight as a friend, only, and he is all but confessing his feelings for her by saying things like that.

But...instead of draw away or look bashful, she only draws nearer, the next song quiet and melodic and romantic. His throat feels tight with emotion and nerves, but his arms move carefully around Alisaie to keep her close, his cheek turning to rest atop her head.

And instead of saying anything else, he simply...dances with her, and holds her, and wills this moment to last forever and ever and ever. ]

[ of course it cannot last forever and ever.

but it can last a good long while indeed. they dance into the night, they dance until her legs ache and her feet are sore and she cannot think to stand for another moment, though if it were up to her she would continue on and on. there is something so magical about this night, so special, its energy fills her up from the inside out and she knows intrinsically that this is a memory that she will carry with her for the rest of her life, no matter where she goes from here. she will remember how they danced, and how he smiled, and how her hand felt in his.

the night grows late without seeking their permission, however, and soon the night sky beyond the vaulting windows is black as ink and bright with stars. the music slows, and stops, and at last they withdraw together to the tall terrace outside the west wing, overlooking the forest, and in the far distance, the town beyond. the air is cool and fresh, and the view is perfect.

exhaling in a soft sigh, alisaie sits at last on the stone bench beside him, her hands curled in her lap almost nervously. ]

I have.. a request of you.

[ They've been going for hours, and although he might not tire, he knows she must be wearing out, no matter how much she might be enjoying herself. And, inexplicably...she does seem to be enjoying herself, but after a certain amount of time, he just has to accept that. He can no longer be dismayed by it. Alisaie enjoys her time with him. She enjoys being near him and speaking with him and touching him. She has made herself clear.

So there are no linger fears or doubts in his heart as they at last retire, and he leads her back through her quarters, which are much more in order than the first time she visited this place. It still looks messy and lived-in, but less in a way of accumulated despair and more in a way of joyful life. They move out onto the terrace, the air cool yet inviting, and they sit on the bench, watching the stars and sky the night before them.

Not that Prompto can really look at much else besides Alisaie tonight.

That's why he's quick to respond when she addresses him, and doesn't miss the slight hesitation in her voice. Is this...when she asks him if she can go home? Gods, why hasn't he told her she can leave whenever she likes yet? ]

Yes, Alisaie?

[ Regardless of what she asks him, he will do his best to fulfill her request. ]

[ she is certainly visibly nervous for reasons that are not yet readily apparent, but she should not hesitate any longer. this is something she wants. a step she wants to take.

theirs is an incredibly complex relationship by anyone's standards. it does not escape either of them that he is still, in essence, her jailer, that he imprisoned her here against her will. she has not forgotten that, and neither has he.

and yet still.. she loves him. they are so different in every way, she does not know how to even begin to live a life with one such as him, or even if he wants it just as she does - for of course she has her doubts. she is so unlike him, after all, and if the clues he has scattered are any indication, he is far older than he might appear. he is not a man, after all, but a machine, built to last the ages; what is her lifetime but a flash in the pan, however long-lived elezen may be? but the connection between them exists nonetheless, neither of them can ignore it. not any longer.

at last she looks into his face. ]

I would like for you to.. draw me. A portrait. Here, and now.

[ she asks, her fingers curling around themselves. ]

Would that be possible?

[ No, the reasons for her nervousness are certainly not readily apparent, and the contrast of her behavior with the request she makes. She seems so hesitant, so uncertain, and yet all she asks of him is for him to draw her. Maybe it's not a request she has made before, but it certainly isn't the first time he's drawn her, both in and out of her presence. Nonplussed, he blinks, repeating the words back to himself in his head to make sure he hasn't missed something.

A moment later, he nods, though it's clear from his perplexed expression that he still does not understand. ]

Yes, of course. I would love to. Give me just a moment to grab some parchment.

[ Brow still furrowed, he rises to move just inside the door to gather his supplies, before turning to the terrace to set up shop. ]

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