A Prince's Friend is Hard Work

[chocobosnap]

 Prompto was nervous.

That was not the least bit unusual in itself, he had some terrible anxieties that made his life complicated and challenging all at once, all the time, but he'd had a handle on things, at least, he thought so. 

He received a letter and turned his world upside down.

All of that hard work had come to fruition and he was now a new friend to the prince, someone he got along with a lot better than he used to. He'd seen and met some of his retainers, some of the people around him. They all seemed nice, if wary, and huge. 

Prompto had never been tall, and he was slightly shorter than Noct who seemed short beside his bodyguard Gladio. He was kind of hoping he'd get bigger, but he doubted it. 

The longer he spent with Noctis, they'd begun asking him questions about his skills in self-defense, because there could be danger inadvertently. Ignis had been the one to deliver the message that he should learn, and asked him to report to the Citadel one Sunday morning to meet with Cor Leonis - The Marshal - who was going to test him, or teach him, or something. 

He was on time, had been escorted to the gym and, dressed in his gym clothes, he was waiting nervously, pressed against a wall to avoid any looks from any of the Glaives around. He couldn't have looked more out of place if he tried, with his black track pants and dark purple t-shirt with a frolicking cartoon chocobo on it. 

Comments

[chocobosnap]

Initially, his background check was very ordinary. He was an average student, he didn't make waves or stand out very much. He lived in a nice area with his parents who worked a lot, out of Accordo.

Observations of him include extreme shyness and quiet, unassuming. He was adopted to his parents when he was a baby.

It all seemed clean and sanitized. Prompto's original nationality was not mentioned, and his parents often filed reports from Accordo it seemed like.

All of this led to Prompto himself. No weapons training. When he arrived the next training session, he still looked nervous as he did the first time, but he was on time, even a little early.

[immortalmarshal]

Cor's nagging feeling didn't go away from reading that initial report. Granted, the explanation that Prompto was adopted does explain a few things, but for his parents to be away all the time, plus no official weapond training before...

He simply asked Monica to "double-check where he got adopted from" - aka, look further into that issue - and see if there's any known reports of caretakers for him when he was younger.

Cor is, however, pleased with Prompto's timing as he steps into the training room that morning. "Ready for your first lessons?"

[chocobosnap]

Prompto smiled brightly.

"Uh, yeah, right! Ready!" He offered cheerfully. He squirmed a little bit, shifting his weight from foot to foot.

Prompto was a morning person.

Monica would find no record of caretakers, in fact, possibly ever. No one seems to be involved with the Argentums in Insomnia. They had friends in Accordo.

[immortalmarshal]

That really troubled Cor once he gets that info. How can people just leave a kid by themselves, even for important trips? Six knows that he's done his share of babysitting for his friends...

"Alright, we'll start with some basic hand-to-hand. Not all opponents are going to keep your distance, so you'll need to defend yourself in those cases."

Prompto will soon learn that whatever level of difficulty Noctis had in his training with Gladio? It's at least as tough with Cor, if not more so. The Marshall doesn't go that easy - partially as a final test, but also out of habit.

[chocobosnap]

"Oh man." He dragged his hands down his pants to ease his nerves, before Cor proceeded to show him why he was the best.

He spent a lot of his time down on his back, taking blows and trying. Always trying. Prompto was persistent enough to get back up, every time.

There would be one more note to come from the investigation - Prompto had lied about having a part-time job.

[immortalmarshal]

The fact that the kid has a part-time job despite his family being well-off to keep going on business trips to Accordo? That's much more suspicious to Cor, though not towards Prompto alone. He asked Monika to keep digging before he came down for this session, figuring that he'll get some answers once he's done grinding Prompto down some.

Though...the kid is persistent, Cor will give him that. Regardless of any levels of potential whining, it does seem like he's always getting back up. That is good; very good, based on past experience with prior trainees. The blonde is dedicated...though for what reason Cor hasn't sussed out yet. He does wonder if this is purely based on Ignis' recommendation for self-defense, given what he's already uncovered so far...

"Alright, let's take a break," he says after nearly an hour of training. He walks over to where some water bottles and towels had been setup to one side.

[chocobosnap]

He followed him to the side flopping into a seat and letting out a little sigh.

He smiled and took a bottle of water and began drinking.

"Thank you." Prompto said with a smile. He wasn't really whining, not yet, but he was doing his best to keep up. It was hard, really hard, but he was determined to do it.

[immortalmarshal]

Cor himself is clearly not as tired as Prompto is; years of training and fighting has given him much more stamina. Still, he does wipe away a light sheen of sweat as he lets his body cool down a bit.

Settling down near Prompto, he takes a brief swig from another water bottle. "...got a few questions for you; just out of curiosity."

[chocobosnap]

Prompto swallows some water and he blinked a little.

"Uh, yeah sure." He smiled. It didn't seem like the type of interrogation he underwent the last time.

[immortalmarshal]

Cor pauses for just a moment, just to figure out which question to ask first.

"...how did you first meet Noctis? I could never get him or Ignis to tell me the details, and he's not prone to making new friends easily." Even though Noctis is a Good Kid, Cor's vaguely aware that he may not have much more than admirers and gawkers at their school.

[chocobosnap]

"Oh." Prompto blushed a little. Everything that led up to it was complicated and a lot of things he couldn't tell anyone, much less Cor. They were too embarrassing.

"He's been in my class off and on. You know, when he's in school? But no one...I mean, the other kids aren't that great to him?"

Prompto pressed his lips together. "Not me either, but um, I m-mean it's not a big deal. I just...walked up and talked to him. Like a kid really."

[immortalmarshal]

Cor's a little surprised that Prompto's been in the same class as Noctis for a while. But then came the rest of the explanation, and that draws out a concerned frown.

"They didn't bully him or anything, did they?" Or you? goes unsaid for the moment.

"...still, you just treated him like...a normal person, huh?" He takes another swig. "...heh. That would get him to open up."

[chocobosnap]

"N-No they don't bully him." Prompto shook his head.

"It's almost like they're afraid of him? Or like...I don't know just afraid to...approach him. And they just ask him about prince stuff. But he's not...he's like..." It was hard to describe.

"He's so awesome."

[immortalmarshal]

"...ah. The royal aura." Cor sighs and shakes his head. "Most people don't realize that royals - and really, all nobles - are no better or worse than the rest of us. We're lucky that we have a really good family of royals ruling over Lucis; they just need an kick in the ass once a blue moon, when they need a reminder of what is or isn't okay."

And now one eyebrow cocks up at that last statement. "If I didn't know better, it almost sounds like you have feelings for him." That...would make things interesting to handle, if it's true.

[chocobosnap]

Prompto was nodding along to his assessment, but at the summary he squeaked a little.

"W-What? No that's not- I never said anything like that! I didn't- I'm not- gah!" He flailed and hid his face in his hands.

Whether he felt anything for Noct or not, it was irrelevant because it would never happen anyway.

[immortalmarshal]

"Breathe. I wasn't being serious about that." Much. Maybe half-serious at most. "Just a casual observation," he added as an attempt to reassure the lad. Really, he hadn't thought that the kid could be this easily flustered.

...unless the kid is in denial. Or just denying it to everyone. But at least the kid doesn't seem to be malicious or shady about it, and that alone is some small comfort.

After a few more moments, he finally speaks back up. "...still, I'm glad that you've been treating him as a person. He needs someone like that in his life."

[chocobosnap]

"I mean it, he's awesome. He's great to hang out with, I mean we just..." He smiled shyly.

"We play video games and eat together and just spend time being teenagers. I mean...he really likes that, I think. That's all I mean....it's really nice to have a friend."

[immortalmarshal]

"He does, yeah...the crown can weigh very heavily on one's brow, after all. So letting him get his normal time in now is probably good." Even though Cor really has started poking Regis a little more often regarding Noct's princely education recently. School and getting to know the people is wonderful, but the prince isn't going to be a kid forever...

Cor finishes off the bottle before he asks the one question he's been meaning to ask Prompto all morning: "So...do you two work at the same job, too? Or at different ones?" It's so casual and presented like a natural part of the conversation; surely, there's nothing prying about that, right?

[chocobosnap]

"Yeah, I guess so." He answered, shy and unsure, even though it sounded like their future would be short, unless maybe he could prove himself.

Prompto squirmed a little bit. "Um, no. Uh, we don't work the same part-time job? I'm s-sure he doesn't even know. It's not a big deal."

[immortalmarshal]

Part of Cor hopes that it's not short. Despite his suspicions and misgivings, he does feel that Prompto's time with Noctis has a positive impact on the latter; the prince needs someone to keep him connected to the common folks.

but now Cor now gives him a more direct look - very much like how a strict teacher stares at a student who's messing up. "Like I didn't know when you first said that you didn't have one?"

[chocobosnap]

He squirmed a little bit. "Yeah. Like that. I mean...he's never asked?"

Prompto looked uncomfortable, but Cor had a look that made him feel like he was being seen right through.

"I...I mean. I need my job? And it's illegal so, um, sorry? Yeah. I'm sorry."

[immortalmarshal]

Cor just wants to give Prompto a good, solid shaking of the latter's shoulders. Why the heck is this kid hiding the fact that he's employed--

...Oh.

"Illegal how? Is it just you being a little too young for the field it's in?" Which...Cor can't judge him for, being 'Mr. Joined the Crownsguard at 13'.

[chocobosnap]

He squirmed a little bit and nodded.

"I uh, work at a convenience store, overnight?" He smiled sheepishly.

"I m-mean they pay more if you work in the middle of the night so yeah, and not a lot of people want to do that."

[immortalmarshal]

Overnight; that's the part that bothers Cor the most. Working in a convenience store alone isn't a bad thing for a high school student - it's steady pay, even if the pay rate isn't that great. It's the shift that really concerns the Marshall.

"I can get if you family needs money..." Even though his parents didn't seem to need it much. "...but aren't you worried about getting enough sleep and keeping up with your classes?"

[chocobosnap]

"Oh, no I'm good! I don't work every night and I take naps after I'm done hanging out with Noct before I go to work, so it's all fine. And they make these energy drinks you know?"

Prompto smiled brightly, putting the best spin on it. Sure, his grades had begun slipping slightly, but he was going to work harder and pull them up.