nysalogs | what is your name? what is your quest?

[ her relief is palpable, like a wave washing over her body from crown to toe, and she clutches his face between her hands, tipping their foreheads together and just.. enjoying the moment, trying to allow her heart to return to its normal rhythm. her fingers still tremble.

but he's looking at something, and after a few precious moments, alisaie pulls back to glance over her shoulder at the bird, the reality of it beginning to sink in. it's.. radiant, the sight of it so achingly familiar that it has her heart twisting in her breast, her throat clenching tightly.

raising one arm toward it, the phoenix settles weightlessly on her forearm, and alisaie exhales hard, her voice shaken. ]

.. thank you.

[ During that quiet moment that she holds him against her, he begins to understand. The fight begins to flood back into his memory, the naga winding him, his struggle against its impossibly strong grip. Gods. He...he'd almost died, hadn't he?

But then there's Alisaie with her phoenix, and he recognizes it at last for what it is. The summon she had told him she was working on. The one bestowed upon her by her grandfather in his final moments. She had called it forth, and somehow, it had saved him.

Still breathing hard and deep, Prompto raises a hand towards the phoenix, tears prickling at his eyes. ]

Alisaie, you...you did it.

[ He knows what a big deal this is for her, and so tears begin to gather in his eyes in earnest. ]

[ there are a thousand thoughts, a thousand feelings skating over her heart, it is taking some time to process them all. prompto is fine. it was a close call, too close, but he's still here, none the worse for wear save, perhaps, for some bruising and a sore back.

and now.. this.

there's a warmth emanating from the phoenix that has nothing to do with its renewing flames, a familiarity that pulses within it like a heartbeat. gently, it lowers its grand head to bump its beak affectionately to prompto's outstretched hand, before it's leaning over alisaie, nuzzling sweetly at her cheek in a way that has her throat tightening instantly around a soft, hiccuping sob.

at last her hands draw away from prompto until she is able to fling both arms around the bird, pulling it near and pressing her face into its feathers, the warmth of its center bleeding into her skin, her lungs, her heart. ]

[ She did it.

She's been working on this for - what, months, now? And Prompto has been eager to see her succeed ever since she told him about the summon she was working on, and why. The warmth is palpable and all-encompassing, and something familiar resonates within him, too, with the little cluster of Alisaie's aether that lies nestled next to his heart.

As she throws her arms around the bird, Prompto rests a hand gently between her shoulder blades, a warm, relieved smile upon his face. If she hadn't been able to call the bird up...

Well, it's probably best not to think about what might have happened. ]

[ to be honest, she can only give herself so much credit. her hands had been shaking, her diagrams a mess, it was little more than her sheer force of will, her love and terror and need pulling it forth and giving it shape, resonating with the remnants of her grandfather's aether that had settled into her bones long ago.

and this phoenix, this avatar, it is not.. him. not truly. a remnant of his soul, mayhaps, and all mixed up with her own aether, her own will and conviction, and yet still when she presses near to it she cannot help but feel as if she is.. home. that a part of him yet remains, kindled by the fire in her heart, undying.

pulling back with a sniff, she smiles and scrubs her eyes with her knuckles, drawing herself together as best as she can. okay. no mental breakdowns in a crypt still teeming with traps and monsters and angry spirits. with a rattling breath, she looks to prompto again. ]

Are you feeling all right? Should we head home?

[ He lifts his free hand to cup her cheek, to thumb away the last of her tears as he gives her question due consideration. This crypt is, evidently, just as dangerous as promised, and he's a total mess, sticky with drying naga blood spattered across face and arms. But Prompto has survived worse, and they've made it this far. He's going to be sore as hell later, but he'll deal with that when it comes. ]

Let's see this through. You game?

[ Of course, if she thinks it better to leave, then he will go along with her. She just had to witness him almost dying...and he'll no doubt beat himself up later for putting her through that. But - for now. After an enemy like that, they might even be close to something worthwhile. ]

[ he looks battered and bruised, and a sticky mess, but nothing seems to be broken or damaged beyond repair.. if he is willing to go on, then she supposes they may as well, after coming this far and slaying that beast.

still, she can't help but worry. gods, to see him go limp like that.. how brutally fast it had been..

a shudder courses down her spine, but she straightens up with a deep breath and a nod, then casts a quick physick to help ease what injuries he's sustained. ]

All right, but only if you swear to be more careful.

[ if she catches you in melee range again, your ass is grass!! do you know how much dps you'll do if you're dead? zero. ]

[ Renewed with the spell cast over him, Prompto climbs to his feet at last and offers her a hand up. He's still a little shaky, but that's probably more just the trauma of almost dying rather than his injuries. :) ]

You got it. Guess I got a little cocky, huh?

[ It's easier to play it off with a laugh, but he takes her words to heart. He doesn't want to scare her like that again...or worse. He'll stick to what he knows best. It may take more time, but the lower risk will be worth it. ]

[ cocky's a word for it, for sure, but you're never more careful than you are when you've had a brush with death, and alisaie.. really has no place lecturing him on recklessness. how many times has she been in the same position he was just in? worse? her scars alone tell the tale. if he says he will be careful, then she will trust him.

but first - first her hands frame his face again, pulling him down into a long and lingering kiss. there's a force in it, she presses hard, her grasp on his jaw tight and fast.

just. give her this, okay. ]

[ He's only too eager to accept her kiss and return it, his fingers tightening in her jacket and holding tight. They've been through a lot together, but for their first battle that was a bit more harrowing than either of them would have liked.

Still, they're both here, alive and, for the moment, safe. The slide of her lips against his, the mingling gusts of their breath is enough of a testament to that.

When they break apart, he nuzzles against the bridge her nose fiercely. ]

I love you. And...thank you.

[ Once again, she's done more for him than he can possibly express. ]

I love you, too.

[ there's nothing he need thank her for, though - surely he would do no less for her, anything it ever took to save her life, if it came to it. that is simply what you do for those you love, for those who are important to you. she would do it again, and again, and again, anything to preserve that smile, that laugh.

alisaie's breath gusts softly, and for a moment she shuts her eyes and butts her nose back against his, quiet and pensive, but they should not linger too long. so with one last squeeze she draws back, moving over and between the naga's collapsed coils, seizing her rapier by the hilt and wrenching it free with a lovely wet sound. the phoenix continues to hover serenely, following her steps in a trail of luminescent aether. ]

I suppose we should search this room, it may well have been guarding the very spoils we seek.

[ He exhales in and out once more, steeling himself, before nodding. That naga was no joke, and if this crypt follows video game logic, there should be at least a key item or something near by... ]

Alrighty! Let's see what we can find...

[ Regaining some of his usual vim and vigor, Prompto starts to look around the chamber, hands smoothing over the stone walls. Come on, give him something to work with here...

And then - mostly by accident - he knocks against a loose stone, activating ceiling spikes that slowly start to descend towards them.

So uh. That's happening. ]

Oh, you have got to be kidding me!

[ carefully, alisaie wipes the sticky, clinging blood from her rapier, but after that she's sheathing it at her hip again. now that she's managed to summon this phoenix, she's.. certainly not about to say goodbye to it any time soon. so for now, the rapier and focus are second string, and she's going to keep ahold of her grimoire instead.

.. not that it's going to do much good in the moment. the sudden grinding groan of stone on stone is so unexpected that alisaie nearly jumps out of her skin in surprise, and the rain of dust and pebbles has her quickly lifting her free arm to shield her mouth and nose. she has to raise her voice to be heard over the din. ]

What's going on?

[ prompto what did you do!!! ]

[ HE DONE FUCKED UP

Darting back over to her side, Prompto waves his hands through the air to dispel the dust and particles filling the air, so as to better allow her to see the...ceiling spikes. ]

Uh - don't worry! But we maaaaay want to find a way out of this room...immediately. Look for a lever - a door - anything!

[ Since the way they came has also sealed itself off, of course.

He dives onto his knees, feeling along the walls again for any kind of give. There has to be some kind of release mechanism, or a trap door out. Whoever built this would have needed one, right?

Gods, he hopes so. Otherwise. ]

[ WHY ARE YOU ALWAYS FUCKING UP, PROMPTO.. it's like their lives are just one long, continuous gag reel. she used to be such a respectable young elf, you know, before getting involved with this uneducated buffoon.

there's definitely no time to give prompto shit for putting their lives in peril, however - not when literal death is pressing in on them from above. but right. sure. a switch, a button, a lever.. prompto's already on his knees, so alisaie takes the opposite direction, coughing through the dust while she feels along the wall. ]

I cannot believe you -

[ okay maybe there is time to berate him, after all. she's a multitasker. ]

[ That is his lot in life. She agreed to this when she became his girlfriend, sorry Alisaie.

But at least he knows he deserves the chastising tone in her voice, and Prompto only hastens to find a way out of the room even quicker. Those ceiling spikes are slow and dramatic as heck, but they shouldn't waste time. ]

H-hey, on the bright side, I'm still alive?!

[ That counted for something like twenty seconds ago!! Hopefully he will continue to be alive, but only if he finds -

And ah, there it is. Prompto gives a lever cleverly disguised as a sconce a tug, and it actually gives, revealing a small passageway in the far corner of the room. ]

Okey-dokey, time to make like a tree!

[ He bounds towards her, grabs her hand, and tugs her towards the opening. ]

[ still alive, and ready to kill the both of them.. apparently saving his life translated to sacrificing her own. alas. it's been a good ride i guess..

but then prompto is seizing her hand, dragging her along, and in all the noise and dust she hasn't seen the passageway but she'll just trust him here, because it's her best option. twice she nearly trips in her haste, before they're darting into a cramped, musty corridor - and none too soon, she has to duck to make it through, the tip of one threatening spike catching briefly on the collar of her coat as she darts quickly into the passageway.

but wait, what do trees have to do with anything?? ]

[ The corridor the wedge into - just in the nick of time, no less - is cramped but short, and soon enough they're spilling out into another large chamber. This one doesn't appear to have any monsters in sight, but instead holds a gleaming stone on a pedestal. ]

Well, would you look at that! We made it!

[ Or, at least, they're one step closer. No doubt this room is also littered with traps. They'll have to be very, very careful on their approach. ]

.. so we did.

[ she's huffing and puffing to catch her breath, her face flushed and her heart hammering; that was rather a close call, another close call, for the sake of some silver. she's not sure it's worth it..

but they are already here, so they may as well finish the job. especially given it seems their reward is right here before them. but even though she's never seen indiana jones, she still can tell it probably wouldn't be a good idea to walk right up and snag it, especially considering it's right out there in the open, like bait. ]

I don't suppose you have some grand plan for this, too?

Uhh...

[ Give him a moment. If this were a video game...where would the traps be? He analyzes the room, the cracks in the ceiling that let just a little bit of sunlight through, before picking up a loose stone near their heels and tossing it close to the pedestal. Sure enough, it triggers a barrage of darts to fire off in front of the treasure. ]

Okay, so...that's one.

[ Gingerly, he starts to tiptoe forward. ]

Watch your step...

[ Don't step on the diamonds!!! ]

[ ah. well. darts, now. too bad she doesn't know accio treasure.. but she does know other things. rather than follow in his footsteps, alisaie tilts her head thoughtfully. ]

What if I were to blast it off of the pedestal?

[ He glances back at her, surprisingly pensive. ]

Might work, but we gotta account for the possibility that the weight of the treasure is keepin' another trap in check.

[ Another thing she would have learned from Indy... ]

[ he's really into this.. it's like a stupid roleplay, only he doesn't even have to roleplay. this is his dream. ]

Is that -- okay.

[ she'll take his word for it, he seems to know what he's doing. somehow. ]

Have you.. done this before?

[ Hey, just be glad he's enjoying himself and not dead??? Gods. ]

Nah. I've just, uh, played a lot of video games.

[ Who knew they would come in handy? He continues to step closer to the pedestal, slowly but surely. ]

[ while prompto is creeping forward like some bug creature, alisaie remains behind, standing with her arms loosely crossed over her abdomen. because you know what's super useful for situations like this? familiars. especially ones that don't have feet and therefore cannot step on any diamonds.

with a flick of her fingertips, alisaie sends the phoenix gliding smoothly forward beside prompto. nice. ]

How is that relevant?

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