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

[immortalmarshal]

Cor opens his mouth, and then shuts it as he thinks he recognizes the real problem here. Instead of a scowl, he just sighs and settles into a chair next to Prompto.

"Look...you're not imposing upon Noctis and the others. Friends - real friends - don't count that as imposing. Ever. He wants to help in any way possible. So does Ignis, and even Gladio a little. And besides...I personally know how badly it can be if you try and take care of yourself right after surgery. So, let them help you, just this once..."

[chocobosnap]

Cor wasn't wrong in his assessment, but it wasn't just that.

Prompto rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

"I know. I mean...I guess, but they don't need this. I can handle it. Honest. I look after myself all the time." He waved his hand. "I don't want them to hate me too because I wanted too much."

He'd been hearing it for awhile, that he was too needy, he wanted too much, more than anyone could reasonably give him, or so his parents said. He had to keep his friends at a certain distance. Smile, be the guy they loved and that was it. He didn't want to burden them.

[immortalmarshal]

Cor's heard it from Prompto's mother too. And if she had been here in person, he might've actually punched her for it without an ounce of regret. The idea of someone treating their child like that still makes his blood go from cool to boiling within a few seconds.

But to hear it from Prompto, who seems to have been raised with that kind of thinking? It just makes something inside Cor just...break. Again. Because that kind of treatment is not correct, based on how Clarus and Regis raised their kids...and based on Cor's own childhood, even with poor working-class parents.

"...It's not." His voice is quiet at first, but it slowly grows as he continues. "What you want...it's what every child, every person wants from their loved ones. Unconditional love and support, a helping hand in hard times, event the occasional covering of expenses and caretaking during times of illness... That's not too much to ask for. That's normal. Whoever's been telling you that are a bunch of heartless assholes."

He takes a deep breath. "And there's no way Noctis would hate you for wanting him to help look after you while you're recovering. If he did, he wouldn't have bothered coming her in the first damn place, much less be anxiously waiting to see you." Cor can almost imagine Noctis pacing the floor in the waiting room, or sitting impatiently in the chair trying to focus on whatever mobile game he's currently obsessed with.

[chocobosnap]

He couldn't help it, he believed he was wrong. That might be true for other kids, but he wasn't like them. He didn't know what that marking on his wrist meant, but it meant he wasn't normal.

He shook his head. "I-I'm sure they tried to love me. At some point."

Prompto wasn't exactly sure when everything got turned upside down, but it did. It was his fault, he'd been told so.

"But there's something wrong with me." He said in a rush. "I don't really know what a-and I'm not normal!" He was tempted to prove it, but he didn't know what would happen.

"So that stuff is just...not for me. But it's okay! Really! I'm used to it." He was trying his best to convince Cor he was fine. "I know Noct likes me, likes hanging out with me but..."

[immortalmarshal]

"Prom...there's nothing wrong with you." Cor's really trying hard not to shake some sense into this poor lad. "Just because you're not 'normal' doesn't mean that you're 'broken'. It just means that you're unique, and there's nothing wrong with that."

He then sighs and thinks for a moment. "Take Noctis, for example. Even if you ignore his rank, there's the fact that he's partially made up of pure magic. It runs in his blood, one of only two lines in all of Eos, and it's very likely that his kids will be the same way. Ignis is one of the brightest youths I've ever known, but he had to give up most of his childhood to dedicate himself to Noctis and Lucis, to an extent. Gladio spent most of his life training to become a living Shield, a breathing war machine should he need to go into battle alongside his charge."

He pauses. "...and I started my career as a child soldier, just because I happen to be damn good with a blade and had a poor family to support. None of us are normal...and that's okay. Whatever makes you different from most folks, or even us...there's nothing wrong about it."

[chocobosnap]

Prompto wanted to protest, but Cor kept going and he shut his mouth again, listening to him. "I...it feels so wrong."

He covered his sweatband with his other hand, another layer of hiding what was there.

"And I'm..." He paused, and lowered his voice as though Cor didn't know. "A Niff."

[immortalmarshal]

And there is the core issue, isn't it? The poor lad's been subjected to his parents' racial hatred that he seems to have internalized it. Cor just looks at that sweatband for a moment, and then at Prom's face...

And then reaches over and one-arm hugs him. "Just because you were born outside of Insomnia, or had biological family that came from outside of Lucis... It doesn't make you any less of a Lucian to me. And I'm pretty sure that the others would feel that way too." Because if they do, Cor will rip them a new one.

[chocobosnap]

He flushed at the hug, surprised as he was pulled against the Marshal and he stiffened for a moment before sinking into it, almost as though he was afraid of a reprimand for falling for such a trick.

"I don't know...where I came from. I don't know anything." He confessed.

"Noct never asked. I wondered if he knew if they'd make me leave him alone but I don't want to. I like him."

[immortalmarshal]

"He didn't ask because he doesn't care," Cor mutters softly. "All he cares is that you're his friend - the first friend he had that isn't delegated to him originally. And if the others are stupid enough to make you two stop being friends just because you're not of the usual Lucian bloodlines? I'll kick their asses, because I helped taught them to be better than that."

Okay, so maybe Cor sounds more like a father than a mentor right now. But either he's unaware of that in the moment, or he simply doesn't care.

[chocobosnap]

He looked at Cor with surprise and tilted his head, nodding a little bit. "Y-Yeah. Well I really like him!" He said, almost defensively.

"I don't...I mean..." Prompto looked flustered. "Why? Everyone else seems to care."

It wasn't just his parents, after all.

[immortalmarshal]

"Good." Cor nods in satisfaction. He hopes that Prompto still remains friends with Noctis, years and years into the future.

"Because your heritage doesn't determine who you are. People could make all the fuss about it and claim that it does, but it doesn't. That's like rich people thinking that they're better than all the poor people, just because they got all the money; it's just a shitty point of view."

Cor then, finally, unwraps his arm from the lad. "There's also the fact that you're a good kid. You have a good heart, and you're dedicated and loyal. And I honestly don't care if you really were born in Niflheim; you're the kind of kid worth helping and looking out for."

[chocobosnap]

He was blushing, he was sure of it. It was so much praise, from Cor who didn't need to say things like that, he'd gotten a hug from him too.

He hid his face in his hands, nodding a little bit.

"Y-Yeah, I mean, Noct doesn't care but.."

Everyone else seemed to. He'd grown up hearing every slur in the book from ordinary people who thought it was okay. He was used to it.

"It's kind of amazing."

[immortalmarshal]

Everyone else used to think that a 14-year-old kid could never cut it long-term in the Crownsguard, that he could just get himself killed in his first battle. Cor, however, proved them all wrong by being that kid.

"It is, yeah. It's not every day that you get to be taken care of by a good friend, so I strongly recommend that you enjoy it." He rises to his feet as there's a nervous knock at the door...and a familiar young male voice calling for Cor.

"Ah, speaking of that friend...let's not keep him waiting any longer."

[chocobosnap]

With that, Prompto was released to Noctis' (which was really Ignis') care for the time being, at least until he was recovered. He didn't know what Noct had been told, but he didn't say much about his family, just that they were working.

The moment that he was cleared, he went home, so he wasn't a bother on Ignis and Noctis.

He was still going to have to avoid training for a few more weeks while he recovered, but he didn't need to be watched over anymore. His parents were kind of mad as it was, that he'd cost them that money.

Since he couldn't go to training he was just hanging out at home.

[immortalmarshal]

Cor used this time to get his head together. Yes, he's still pissed that Prompto appears to be a victim of child neglect. Yes, there might be racism involved. But he can't just keep losing his cool like this.

Even if Regis had pointed out over drinks that Cor acted more like a parent than a mentor. Which is ridiculous, because Cor doesn't see himself as great father material.

Still, he does need to check up on the lad - jist to make sure they're not giving the kid hell. So he digs up the address on Prompto's public files and drives himself over there. He even brings over some convenience store meals as a peace offering, in case the parents happen to be home a little early.

[chocobosnap]

They are, in fact, in that moment giving him hell.

Prompto was on the phone, pacing a little in his anxiety as he listened to his mom lecture him, when the knock at the door sounds.

"Mom I gotta-" He tried to cut in and winced at her reaction.

He padded over to the door, a little pale an strung out, but Noctis had seen him looking worse a couple of days before when he insisted on going back and he blinked because it was not his friend.

He held up his phone and beckoned Cor in, only slightly embarrassed about the state of his place. He was not Noctis, he wasn't normally terribly messy, but it was a little dusty. He had a couple of dishes in the sink and his school books were strewn on a coffee table, in front of a TV that was on and the couch was covered in a blanket nest.

"Yeah, mom, I know he's the prince, it's just-" He winced as she cut in again. "He likes me. We're friends." He frowned.

[immortalmarshal]

Cor had initially looked neutral, even momentarily pleased to see Prompto again when the front door first opened. But that indication that his mother's on the phone puts a concerned frown back onto his face. The fact that she's not happy with his choice of friends doesn't seem promising, either.

Still, he gestures to the bags of food, and then points to the kitchen to indicate where he's going for the moment. The living room setup doesn't bother him - he's seen Worse from the few times Cor himself had to check up Noctis at the latter's apartment. The dishes in the sink, though, makes him a little more concerned, even as he sets the food down on the kitchen counter. Did his mother call him mid-chore...?

Best to listen in on the conversation, just in case.

[chocobosnap]

"I don't know what he sees in me." He admitted with a bit of a shrug, and an apologetic smile to Cor.

"I don't. I know...I..yeah, he knows I'm a Niff. I don't think he cares mom." Prompto rolled his eyes, and moved to pace back and forth.

"Someone is at-no I'm not interrupting."

He was quiet a few moments. "Yeah. I know you don't want the Citadel calling." He grimaced. "I'm sure he is mad but I couldn't help it."

Another long pause. "Mom, I've been thinking I might want to be a Crownsguard someday."

He flinched a bit at the reaction. "I'm sure if Noct wanted me to be I could-"

[immortalmarshal]

Cor doesn't interrupt at first, just peering thru the doorway into the living room. That eyeroll does make a tiny smile tug at Cor's lips; how typically teenager...

Prompto's wish to join the Crownsguard, though, does make Cor stand up a little straighter - and, oddly enough, create a small yet blooming warmth of pride. The older man could see the blonde as a worthy Crownsguard member someday. Hell, he just needs to walk the lad thru the official paperwork for apprenticeship as soon as he turns 16, and they could just continue training together for the next couple of years.

If Prompto glances over at Cor, he will see the slightly-softer look of approval on his face.

[chocobosnap]

"Yeah. No, I know." He rubbed the back of his neck. "No don't put dad on, I'm kinda..."

He exhaled in light frustration, catching Cor's eye. "Um, I'll be a few more minutes, sorry."

Off the living room was the hallway, with two open doors, one a bedroom and one a bathroom, and two closed doors, one probably a closet, the other his parents' room.

"Hi dad." He answered, resigned. "No, I'm not bothering the prince anymore." He blinked. "I don't think I forgot the heating bill, I was in hospital so I..."

"I'm not trying to cause a problem for you. Yeah, I'll do it today."

[immortalmarshal]

"It's alright," Cor started to say; he's waited on Regis or Clarus finishing up calls before, and this is no different.

Still, as soon as Prompto seems engrossed in talking to his father, Cor is going to slip quietly down the hallway to peer into each bedroom. Maybr even crack open the closet door to see what might be hidden inside. Just how well off are the Argentums, compared to their adopted kid?

[chocobosnap]

Prompto's room had a bed, with a small army of chocobo plush dolls on the comforter, but he hadn't made it that morning; the walls were plastered with photos of Insomnia, various pets from the neighbourhood, but back of the bedroom door were pictures of him and Noct, or Noctis doing one thing or another. He had a computer, one that looked fairly out of date, on a desk where his camera sat perched on top of some photography books. His hamper was completely filled, so he was behind on his chores in there too, but his life had been interrupted by his illness. Aside from that, it was relatively neat, and his school uniform was hanging on a hook.

The closet held extra blankets and a few towels, as well as bulk purchased shampoo, conditioner and soap, and a small basket of laundry detergent, fabric softener and some change meant for the laundromat.

The bathroom was more messy, his toothbrush on the counter, a damp towel on the floor from his shower that morning. He hadn't been expecting company at all. It too was relatively neat, just it looked like Prompto was using it.

The bedroom looked like a hotel room. A large bed, made with firm tucked hospital corners, a lingering scent of dust in the air. The closet in there didn't even contain any clothes. There were pictures in there, a few of the happy couple and none of their son. They hadn't been there in a long time. No one had been.

In the living room, after a bit more bantering back and forth, Prompto hung up. He wasn't worried about following Cor, but he was bewildered by the meals.

"You didn't have to bring me anything." He called. "Sorry about the mess too, it's...I wasn't expecting you and I just...I was lying down for awhile. Wasn't feeling that great and then you know how it is." He was babbling nervously.

[immortalmarshal]

Prompto's bedroom puts a genuine smile to Cor's face. It feels like a working-clads teen's bedroom - something that he could relate to. The photos that include Noct's smiles fill him with more warmth. Their prince had been thru so much in his young life; it's very comforting to see him smile with ease, even in a photograph. Amd speaking of photos...Prompto doesn't appear to be kidding or exaggerating about his love for the camera. It's a good hobby to have, in the older man's mind.

The rest of the house, though, erases his smile completely. One would think that they would at least have a baby photo or something of their kid. Six knows that Regis and Clarus have (more than) their fair share of kids photos. That practically unlived in bedroom and lack of (working?) laundry machines in the house makes it very cleae that this isn't just a case of neglect...

Hearing Prompto speak up jist as he was closing the closet door made him a little jumpy, but he's quick to get himself calm again. At least, calm on the surface.

"It's alright; I just came by to check up on you to see how you're doing. I hope you didn't mind me looking around a little bit. This is a mich bigger place than the one I grew up in." Keep it polite and friendly; don't freak the kid out while he's still recovering...

He's glad, though, that he already handed full control of the investigation and resulting case to Monica, who can be more impartial than he is at this point.

[chocobosnap]

"Oh, I'm fine." He answered with a smile, that was always his answer, even when he was practically dying from appendicitis.

Prompto didn't want to seem like he was anxious, but he was. He hated having those kinds of conversations like he'd been neglecting his house caring duties, or asking for more money, but to be fair he couldn't work while in the hospital. His dad was really disappointed in him.

"Nah, nothing too exciting to see. I have a lot of pictures, that's all!"

[immortalmarshal]

For a brief moment, Cor is torn between hugging him and shaking the lad. Instead, he simply put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Prompto..you don't have to pretend around me. I'm not gonna judge you for not being fully alright."

He then gestured to the bags of ready-to-eat meals. "We can talk about it while we eat. Maybe even with a couple of your yellow friends nearby?" There's some slight teasing on the last part - no different than how Gladio might tease Prompto or Noctis at times.