originallutece | ic inbox part 2 electric boogaloo

cant talk my way out of that one
four
theyre not too hard to settle down i promise

I can't speak for my cat. I have no idea how he'll react, but we can try, at least. If nothing else, we can keep them on separate floors.

Can you transport them all over on your own?

youd be surprised how used to traveling they are
it wont be a big deal

be there in an hour or two?
dinners on me

Text me when you arrive. I'll help you with your things.

[ And arrive soon he does! Noctis takes some time to pack his things. The essentials, one of his gaming systems, a small monitor and his computer.

The only reason he brings his oxygen tank is because he feels safe sharing this side of him with Rosalind. She's seen enough, and she's already gotten on him for not being transparent about his situation. And it's still bad. In fact, he hasn't been feeling all that great the last few days, but it hasn't been enough to trigger any concerns. Business as usual, right?

His fluffy, brown cat Etro is quite amiable to the small backpack with a dome-like window. Made just for the cat who loves to travel. His little grey kitten, Orion, always goes for the shirt pockets or hoodies. Noct's even bought a hoodie made just for cats, with a large pouch in the front for him.

He rolls up with the cats, and two dogs. A large lab and a medium-sized shiba mix. Both of which can walk without leashes and stay close to their papa. Noctis throws his backpack over his shoulders and wheels out the oxygen tank himself, which is covered by a blanket. Because no one needs to see that.

He texts Rosalind that he's arrived, because now he has zero hands to open the door. The puppers have already started to bork. ]

Oh, dear god.

[She murmurs it, grimacing as she hears the dogs. Atop one of his cat-tree, Kawaii-san hisses softly. She can't help but echo the sentiment, but delaying shan't help. Rosalind exhales softly, steeling herself, and opens the door.

. . . a little. She blocks the way with her body, pressing her legs together so the dogs can't rush forward.]

Put them on leashes. I shan't have them running around my entire house. And give me something, so you can handle them.

Oh, uh--

[ Awkward. Noctis looks a bit at a loss here, face flushing to his mistake. He sets down his backpack and digs through his bag. Looking up to the dogs, who are both wagging their tails and eager to meet their new friends, he speaks quick: ]

Rufus, Tiny, sit.

[ And they do so in time. It takes a second, because they're both just so excited, but they sit. Noctis gets their leashes on and stands up, looking down to make sure Orion is okay. Etro is in her little bag too, happy as ever. ]

That's got wheels.

[ The oxygen tank. Which he invites Rosalind to wheel in. ]

All right . . .

[She waits for a few seconds, her eyes narrowed, before she's satisfied that the dogs will stay put. Opening the door wider, she reaches for the oxygen tank, leading him inwards. The house is just as he remembers it (though there might be a few more cat toys than he recalls). And there's Kawaii-san, glaring down at them all, stiffening up as the dogs trot in.]

His name is Tiny . . .

Thanks.

[ For the help. Noctis grabs everything else and comes in, gesturing for the dogs to follow. He scoffs a laugh at the remark. ]

Her full name's Tiny Athena. "Tiny" for short. Prompto's call, not mine.

[ He passes by Kawaii-san, and softly smiles. Grumpy as he is. ]

Hey buddy, the company's just for a little while. I promise. Thank you for sharing your space with them.

[ And he'll totally reach over to pet him because he is the cat whisperer and is a sucker for all cats. ]

Thanks for opening your place up for a bit. Figured a house built around a laboratory was the safest option. Plus, been meaning to make sure you're alright anyway.

[Kawaii-san mrows grumpily, but tips his head up to push against his hand. Reluctantly. Irritably. He's still upset, but Noct is more than welcome to try and make it up to him.

She stares down at his oxygen tank for a few seconds, then sets it against the wall and turns to look at him, her head tipping back.]

. . . I'm a touch disoriented, I'll admit. But perfectly all right.

[ Poor grumpy kitty. Noctis scritches his head a bit before walking further in. He sets his backpack down by the couch he's slept on before, then Etro's bag. ]

Alright, Etro. Just hang around here a bit, ok?

[ He checks on Orion, who prefers to stay in his little pouch anyway. The dogs are close by, but quietly sniffing around. Eventually, he gets up. ]

Yeah. I'll admit that I'm in the same boat.

[ Noctis pulls his hair back, tying it into a hair tie he keeps on his wrist. ]

This isn't too inconvenient, right?

No.

[A quiet answer. She sighs as she pushes a hand through her hair, sweeping it back.]

Truth be told, Noct, I appreciate the company. For more reasons than one.

[ Noctis isn't the best at socializing, nor is he good at picking up on certain social cues. But when he gets close enough to someone, he learns their ticks. Not that he speaks up about it, because he's actually not the best at empathy either. For those he cares for? He knows he has to try.

Noctis stands silent for a moment, crossing one leg over the other and rubbing the back of his neck. Awkward. His gaze shifts away. ]

Yeah... I get it.

[ Hasn't been the best for him either.

Meekly, he lifts his gaze over to her. ]

You... Doing alright?

[She nearly laughs. It's just . . . god, look at him, so uncertain, glancing away and uncertain, squirming in discomfort, yet she knows him well enough to know he's trying his best.]

I'll survive.

[So . . . no, not really. Not at all. But what else is she to do? Crying won't help. Crying is useless, and so she refuses it, even late at night when she feels so hideously lonely and wants to wail her heart out. Rosalind turns, glancing away, going to fuss with Kawaii-san.]

[ Noctis always saw Rosalind as this commanding sort of presence. Hard, but kind. Unwavering. Maybe even a little intimidating, but the way she carries herself with such confidence and certainty always made him feel she was impenetrable.

In his adulthood, he's realizing now that this isn't at all the case. That Rosalind is actually far more than that, that there are sides of vulnerability and even something awkward and unsure. It's both heartbreaking and weirdly reassuring, to him. He's not the best at consoling people, but he hasn't outright embarrassed himself when he's tried.

It's just... He's so sure he sucks at it after the talk he had with Prompto. "Talk", because that's really all it was at face value. A chat. Not really diving into what's bothering him, and now he's gone off for some trip. Without him.

On top of feeling sick lately? Functioning purely on caffeine and pain killers? He hasn't been at his best lately. At least the pain has calmed down a little for now.

His hand drops, and he walks over to his backpack, taking out the squishy cat bed he'd brought for Etro and Orion to lay on. He takes Orion out from his pouch in his hoodie, setting him down. At least the kitten's separation anxiety has calmed down enough that he's fine so long as Noctis is in the same room as him. Freed from that, he takes off his hoodie and neatly drapes it over a chair. ]

Might as well go with the only option you've got.

[ While he's sure sarcasm is beautiful to Rosalind, it might not be the best time for that. He sighs. ]

... What I meant to say was I, uh... Hope it gets better for you.

[ He pauses, looking at her. ]

Did something happen?

. . . Fawkes and I separated.

[She says it after a pause, but the sentence itself is forced out quickly, a fact shoved forward and abandoned. Conversely, she turns back towards him, her gaze fierce, determined to face him as she admits this.]

And I, ah, forgot . . . the app. And all the oddness that is contained therein. All my memories, all my knowledge . . . I was nothing more than a puppet for a few weeks. I . . . I couldn't remember anything. I couldn't do anything, none of my teleporting. All I could do was go along with a so-called normal life.

[ Noctis goes from looking shocked to absolutely confused. He isn't even sure what to say to that, looking very much the part when she speaks of everything and faces it head on.

Her and Fawkes broke up. And then she... Forgot everything? Went to living a life without the app?

Noctis blinks a few times, looking down to gather his thoughts here, and he looks back to her. Concern and empathy in his gaze, and he knows he has to try for her. ]

Miss Lutece, I'm... I'm so sorry.

[ Sans "Dr.", because this is not at all a situation where it just seems right to call her what he'd used to. Fondly. ]

Here I am having not... Called in a while. I should have checked in on you sooner.

Don't.

[She says it firmly, though not sharply.]

Don't twist it into something you ought to blame yourself for. It isn't. These things happen, and I'll, ah . . . I'll be all right. I regained my memories, and that's ultimately all that matters.

[ He can't help but feel somewhat guilty. However, Noctis listens, loosening up a bit. ]

Yeah... Glad you did.

[ He looks down at his feet, meek and awkward as ever. And he's just not good at this at all. But Rosalind is like a mother to him and he feels awful. He wants to do something, to try and make this better because they're gonna be stuck together for a bit.

A thought crosses his mind. ]

Got anything good in the liquor cabinet?

[ They both suck at dealing with feelings. What better way to face it than with alcohol? ]

[That makes her bark a laugh, loud and humorless, and she crosses over to go to her liquor cabinet.]

Naturally. What do you want? Scotch, brandy, whiskey, vodka . . . it isn't the cheap stuff you might be used to, I'm afraid, but it's good for you to start your education early. Mm . . .

[Scotch it is, she decides, and pulls out the bottle, gesturing to him.]

Go get us some glasses and ice.

On it.

[ Noctis says with a gesturing finger pointed in the air. He can't get into the kitchen fast enough. The last few weeks have been absolutely awful, he still feels sick and pained, and he misses sleep. Alcohol might fix this.

He grabs the glasses, which are both promptly filled with ice. He walks over to the liquor cabinet and hands her each one. ]

You think I go for cheap stuff? I'm a rich college student.

[ Absolutely a joke at his expense. But he's loaded. Sometimes, it's okay to make a snarky remark about it. At least when he's admitting he's spoiled and a bit of a diva. ]

But I'll admit I haven't had that before.

[ He nudges his nose towards the scotch. ]

Drink it quickly. It's the second one you savor.

[Or at least, that's how Rosalind has always enjoyed it. She fills each glass a little more than she ought to, then turns to hand it to him. They're going to settle on the couch, she decides, and sprawls over on one end, settling back against the arm of the couch.]

And tell me something irrelevant. The personalities of your pets, perhaps.

[ Noctis takes the glass, surveying the contents a moment. The smell is certainly strong, but he's prepared to be adventurous. Plus, his normal go-to's these days are pure rocket fuel anyway.

He follows close by, sitting on the couch with a sigh. His body is still tense and creaking from the pain he'd experienced earlier in the day, so it takes a moment for him to gather himself.

A distraction. Sounds good. ]

The black one's Rufus the doofus, fluffy white one is Tiny-- She poops more than the doofus does-- Brown fluffy cat is Etro. She's cool with everything, clingy and affectionate, but don't catch her when the bowl's empty.

Orion found me in an alley, clung to my ankles and refused to let go until I picked him up. Now I know what true parenting is.

[ He takes a sip of his glass, and he takes a very brief double-take. It burns in a way that he isn't sure of right away. But it's... Oddly satisfying. Noctis shrugs as if he just agreed with himself and takes another sip. ]

I'm glad I have these guys, honestly. No one catches my bad days quite like Tiny does. She isn't even an official service dog, but she damn-near acts like one.

[She glances over at the dogs. She isn't a dog person, as a rule, and she's determined that Noct will clean up after his pets, but she rather likes the thought that her son is looked after.

Rosalind knocks back her glass, swallowing half of it with a shudder.]

Well, now I know who Kawaii-san most definitely oughtn't attack.

[She glances up at her petulant pet. He's still sulking atop his cat tree, glaring down at the dogs.]

All right? Don't need a chaser?

Edited 2018-02-04 08:45 (UTC)

[ Oh gods, the second attempt is even harder. The burn is pretty harsh, and Noctis wrinkles his nose. It's a challenge to swallow, but he manages with a shiver. ]

Y-- Ghh-- Yeah. I'm good.

[ Noctis shakes his head to try and settle this burn, and he sighs.

The cats have both curled up together on their shared bed, while Rufus and Tiny take to sitting at the bottom of the cat tree, looking up at Kawaii-san with wagging tails and little whines. They wish to play with the angry dog! ]

Sheesh, you weren't kidding.

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