driftfleet | HAPPY BIRTHDAY WIFEY

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY WIFEY

Who: Noctis, Luna, and YOU
Broadcast: N/A
Action: On the planet, on the beach
When: September 4th!

It's just been a few days since his own birthday and barely a month since the wedding but here they were already at Luna's birthday. Noctis wants to do a great job to give his wife the best birthday ever. Being in the empire for twelve years means she hasn't had a birthday party since they were kids. So he's enlisted the help of some special guests to help him give her a great party this year. This includes you, of course, since you were invited to this party by a very special dog.

Do you remember Umbra? Well he delivered invitations to Noctis and Luna's wedding last month as an adorable courier and he has done it again! But this time it's a birthday party invitation down at the beach.

When guests arrive there are poles, blankets, pillows and paper lanterns spread out on the sand. There are plenty of food and drinks and also a cake. And also a blanket that has a collection of wrapped gifts on it. There's also sunscreen available in case you forgot... There is beach volleyball, a sandcastle building competition, and later in the evening a bonfire to roast things like smores and hot apple waffles. Just make sure to wish the birthday girl a good day.

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_{[Noctis brought his wife along to the planet today after he worked so hard to make this day perfect. He hoped it would work out and she'd love it, he was sure she would. They both felt a horrifying anxiety from the planet but that was felt even on the ship so who cared, they may as well have fun even if they have a strange dread in their gut.

So he had a basket in his hand and a towel over his shoulder when he told her he wanted to take her to the beach. He didn't tell her anything about this party he planned with the guys. He just brought her here to the spot with the blankets and the paper lanterns and the grill. She'd worked so hard to surprise him and he covered her eyes and gingerly led her to the sandy place where her party was all set up.]}

Alright... open your eyes!

[ It's no surprise that she's really not expecting anything; he's already wished her a happy birthday, surprised her with a lovely pair of high heels... she really couldn't ask for any more. So when he'd said he wanted to go to the beach, she'd quickly agreed; despite the feel of the planet, who knows when the next time they'll see a beach will be? Besides, maybe he'd like to fish, and she enjoys watching him.

But then he's covering her eyes, and she finds herself growing amused. Honestly, he's got to be the most wonderful, adorable man ever. When he uncovers her eyes, Luna blinks a few times to let them adjust to the light, and then she takes it all in. Decorations, food, friends, presents... there's a warm feeling spreading through her chest as she quickly turns around to throw her arms around Noctis in a happy, grateful hug. ]

Noctis, you didn't have to do all this...

_{[She should have at least expected her card filled with confetti delivered via Umbra. He doesn't have their notebook but it's the same tradition as ever. He isn't going to stop that just because they are married now. He picked out the holographic unicorn shaped confetti this year like a month in advance, ok? He spent time on that crap.

And also she has a point. Maybe he does want to fish and maybe he wants to teach her... if she's interested. But that can be another time. They have time. He insists on believing that. She's the birthday girl and can do what she likes.

He hugs her tight and grins.]} I had to do something. It's your birthday.

[ Okay, she did expect the confetti that fell out of the card he'd given her with her pretty high heels. At home, every year she'd save all of that confetti... if the manor hasn't completely burned down, if he ever gets the chance to go through her room and her things, he'll find a whole drawer in her desk dedicated to that confetti. Just a pile of every variety he'd ever sent her. She'd saved it all.

She wouldn't mind fishing with him, or rather... TRYING to. Any time spent with Noctis is time well spent in her book. She smiles and nestles her face into the crook of his neck, closing her eyes. ]

You went to so much trouble for me... oh, Noctis. You just continue to make me happier and happier... thank you for this. You really are the sweetest man in the universe.

_{[And she should expect the confetti. It's a mandatory part of her birthday. He'd never see her mountain of confetti sadly.... he didn't stop in Tenebrae and he was already in the crystal at home... fated to die upon re-entering the world. He'd be touched though.

Fishing would be great, she has no idea if she'd be any good or not until she tries. He likes to think he's a good teacher since he loves the sport so much. ]}

Goodness, tell me how you really feel... I may think you're trying to seduce me, Luna.

[ The first few times at home it had surprised her... after that, she'd learned to open his cards over a table for easy cleanup and later storage of confetti. But confetti is flammable and probably burned right on down with the rest of the manor... so he probably wouldn't have been able to see it, anyways.

She's looking forward to it in her own way. It means he'll have to put his arms around her and show her just how to hold the fishing rod and what to do... and she may have to play dumb and ask him to show her several times. ]

Oh, dear... could it be that you have figured out my seduction strategy now, love? Whatever shall I do?

_{[Surely it's burned down now. But he will remember all the times he went out looking for confetti on his own birthday just to make sure he had the perfect one to put in the notebook and give Umbra time to get to her. Fun times, even if Prompto did imply he was buying it for himself.

He can just hold her if she wants... they can just sit on the beach and he'll be the big spoon and sit behind her and she can tuck into his jacket... or they can do that and fish and he can tell her very slowly and quietly how to do it... in her ear like a whisper.]}

Oh, keep it up, it's working. I planned this party and I might just ditch it with you.

[ Poor Noctis, she can only imagine that he got doused with it by Prompto, too, on his birthday. The image of Noct's pitch black hair dotted with multi colored pieces of paper and foil is an amusing one.

She would like that lesson very much. He will be nice and warm, and they'll catch a lot of fish. Except they probably won't, because both of them know exactly what it's going to lead to, and they'll probably end up scaring the fish away instead. Not... not that she will complain. ]

Already~? Now, now, we just got here... although, perhaps in a few hours we can disappear, hm~?

_{[There are several nets and balls set up on the beach and everyone is free to join up in teams and play.

There are also supplies for making sand castles like small shovels, buckets, and brushes. There is a small sign advertising that there's a REAL PRIZE for whoever wins the sandcastle competition and the birthday girl gets to decide the winner. So do your best!]}

[Very rarely does Mantis get to enjoy something as simple as going to the beach, but the prospect of making something for once appeals to him immensely. His boots (and socks) are a little distance away, but he's making a great deal of effort using his powers to carry buckets of the dry sand away from a somewhat large circle. It's the damp sand that truly makes the best structures, and the shore is just far away enough that the tide won't cause an issue.

Anyone passing by will see him setting down several towers made from bucketed sand close together. A castle is only as good as it's foundation, after all.]

_{[Well, have a gaping and shocked figure skater here. Yuri had seen Mantis light his own sparklers but he hadn't seen... whatever this was. Though, he wasn't that stunned. He sort of knew better than to flip out now. He had a crewmate with these powers.]}

Mantis... I... you know I never asked about your world and if it has powers in it or not. You know, I have a crewmate named Chuuya who can do what you do...

What are you making?

[Gape away, Yuri, it feeds his ego like a hungry dog. He doesn't turn his head to openly acknowledge the wonder in the figure skater's reaction, but he does add another bucket into the train of sand following him around as he widens the circle of sand towers.]

Chuuya? Interesting. That brings it up to three...maybe four psychics in the crew. The title of the greatest is still up to debate, but I like to think that I am still the strongest among us.

[He sets down a few more sand towers.] Building a base for my sandcastle. It's a silly competition, but I never lose and this is a nice exercise after so much time on the ship.

_{[He doesn't mean to feed egos or gape, it's just a thing he does. Don't mind him.]}

Chuuya is nice enough. Maybe you two should meet... wait there's four?? I had no idea. What can the others do. Are you from the same world??

I.. wouldn't have any clue how to gauge the strongest one of you all... but how do you work out your power? Do you have to exercise it like a muscle?

One reads minds, the other lifts things without touching them. [And he can do both, it's a great deal!] As to where they come from, we never talked enough to find out just yet. They all look human, but then again, my captain is humanoid too.

[Mantis pauses in setting in the last tower, letting the bucket slowly drift away from his hand before they're all circling him like birds.]

Any skill needs to be practiced regularly to get some sense of competency. It's the same with psychic powers as much as it is figure skating.

Your captain is humanoid? Like... sort of human? Who is your captain? How can there be such different abilities and they aren't real in my world. What does that mean about fiction stories with people who do have powers... are those real in another world? Are they real in my world and I just don't know it? I wonder...

Oh, so you have to exercise. What kind of exercises do you do?

Her name is Looma. Red skin, four arms, multiple pairs of eyes. I am fairly certain her people value things like combat prowess. [He laughs say the notion of fictional stories.] Even on my Earth, psychic powers are largely thought to be fake. It all comes down to where you ply your trade that determines how much you see people like me.

[He gets up, taking the buckets with him back towards the shore and beckoning Yuri to follow.]

Mostly small things like this. You look for every chance to do something- [He flicks his hand quickly, making a small flame burst into life.] To ensure you keep full control.

Uh... she sounds... memorable? I never met her, then. She seems intimidating. And... what does that mean? Ply your trade? So do you run into other people like you at home? Are you one of a group?

_{[he follows Mantis like a puppy. He doesn't know anyone else here so he just had to go with him. He yelped when a flame ball burst out of nothing.]}

You're a firestarter too??

Once she showed up calling herself my captain, everything else about the aliens in the fleet and on the planets seemed so mundane. She's a lot like a couple of people I- [Know? Knew?] Worked with, back home.

[It was only a short lived burst, but Yuri's reaction is enough to get him laughing. He collects the sand into the bucket, lifting chunks of the damp stuff in massive globs that fail to fall apart mid-air.]

You should have seen the things I made when I was younger. I can turn large patches of the beach into glass.

You know a lot of people who are... different, don't you? What kind of things could they do?

_{[When Mantis laughs it seems.... out of place somehow. He just doesn't know what to make of it. He thinks this is a good thing though, Mantis seems like he's quiet most of the time so the laugh must have been a nice change.]}

Did you make glass before? Uh... maybe try it with a small batch if you want to. Uh...how did you do that before? Why?

Vulcan Raven is taller than I am and he has such physical strength I have seen him rip a machine gun off an airplane to use as a weapon. He also has a fondness for ravens. [His tone is almost jovial, but a kind of sadness is creeping into his voice in spite of his efforts.] The other she reminds me of is Liquid Snake, our Commanding Officer. Their personalities are very similar: loud, to the point, a little too dramatic, and loving a good fight.

[He laughs often enough, it's just usually at the expense of others. His sense of humor is mired in the grim and the bleak.]

A few times, and I might just try it now that the thought is in my head. It's a lot of heat, so we both need to stand back for that.

[Most of the buckets are filled and lined up in a row. He starts making them come back to the main structure.]

As to how I managed it...let's say "creatively".

[So he's not great at sandcastles, but he's being creative as he learns what works and what doesn't. And it's fun. And who cares if half of it falls as he finally gets the door carved out. (He does, a little. Those towers were pretty awesome. They had shells for flags.)

Whatever. He smooshes the whole thing down and piles it into a mound instead.]

_{[There's something to be said about just mindlessly playing in the sand. He comes over and sits at the... sort-of-a-sandcastle. He picks at the shells and looks at the mound of sand thoughtfully.]}

What are you going for? You should maaaake... Hammerhead. Or a Crow's Nest.

Oh. I was going for a formless adamantoise. But I could try Hammerhead. Maybe a little Cind...uh. Cid in the front working on the cars.

[At least the garage was mostly a block.]

Oh. A giant nasty turtle. You should make us fighting it. Nah, forget hammerhead.. you'd have to make your goddess in it and that might be too stressful for you.

A giant, nasty turtle is easy to make out of sand. [He sighs at the mention of his goddess, though.] I could never do her justice. That kind of perfection could never be replicated.

Well, let's see it then.

And sure, if you say so. _{[He kind of wonders why Cindy feels the need to show off her whole body practically but that's her right. It make it hard or him to take her seriously sometimes... and he wonders about Prompto's chances with her... but oh well.]}

Then make the Hammerhead tow truck, it'll be easier to make to scale anyway.

[Cindy would be perfect no matter how she dressed. He didn't stand a chance with her. He never would.]

Hm. I could try that. [He squashes up the sand to reform it in the boxy shape of a truck.] I'm better at working with real machines though.

You could help, you know. Get those princely hands dirty.

_{[It has been a great day and it's a good night too. Music is playing and beers are being passed out. The bonfire is warm and there are plenty of smores and waffles to cook over the fire. ALSO CAKE.

This might be a great time to snuggle up with someone you like or maybe watch the birthday girl open her gifts.}

[Trying to be really discreet, Cloud wanders his way over to where Luna is sitting. The party scene really isn't his thing and even less so the beach scene, so he's in street clothes instead of something reasonable like a bathing suit.

Instead he's just gonna grab a beer, find Luna and sit down next to her.] I didn't realize you two were such party people.

[ Unlike Cloud, Luna came prepared for the beach. That's about all she came prepared for, of course... she'd been clueless that Noctis was trying to throw her a party. She's got a simple white bikini and a modest white cover up because she's not sure she'll ever really be super comfortable showing a whole lot of skin for long periods of time.

She smiles brightly at Cloud, though, when he plops down next to her on a blanket. It's a nice night, and she's glad that the sun has finally set into the horizon. She's a little sunburned and... a little tired from all of the activities, too. ]

We... we usually aren't. I honestly don't celebrate my birthday, this was a total surprise to me.

[~~She's cute af ok~~

Cloud is like filled to the brim with personal interaction so don't be surprised if he vanishes, but for some reason he can't seem to say no to Luna. Even if she didn't exactly ask for him to be here.]

He sprung it on you, huh? ...did you want this? Cuz if you wanna bail, I'll cover for you, tell everybody I saw you puking into a burn barrel or somethin'.

[ ~~no man it is Cloud who is the cute af one~~

Poor, dear Cloud. He's been hit with weddings and parties left and right over the course of the last few weeks, but she has a feeling that this will be the last one for a while. Those ominous visions had told her that much, at least. ]

He did, and it was very sweet. [ Okay, that's... she starts giggling at that. ] No, no... I'm happy. It's been thirteen years since anyone's really acknowledged it, and it's nice being able to spend time with everyone again.

...Luna, uh. [Cloud draws his knees up, arms going around them as he clasps his wrists. Something's been bothering him but he hasn't been sure how to ask, and this really isn't the time but they're alone, and it's the end of the day and...] At your wedding...this guy showed up. Your husband looked like he wanted to tear him to pieces, said it was cuz of what he did to you.

Hm? [ Luna glances at him curiously. His question... well, it's only a matter of time before everyone finds out, anyways. She closes her eyes for a moment as she tries to come up with the best way to easily put just what Ardyn did to her, but she's having a hard time coming up with a gentle way to tell him that the hobo shanked her. ] Do you remember the man of great and terrifying power I spoke to you about? That was him... Ardyn Izunia, Chancellor of Niflheim and the worst person in existence in my home world.

[ Her eyes open, and she stares at the bonfire instead, not really sure if it's a good idea to glance directly at Cloud right now. ] At home, I was known as something called an Oracle. My duty was to keep something called the Starscourge from turning people in to daemons... to keep our world from falling into eternal night. But I've also the ability to speak to the Gods and forge covenants for my King. To make a long story short... because of Chancellor Izunia's influence, I was held captive for twelve years, unable to seek out my prince and my king. But the darkness spread, and so did the Starscourge... and it is all thanks to Ardyn and the Empire of Niflheim. He went so far as to arrange a marriage between Noctis and I.

[ ...So much for keeping a 'long story short', but honestly she's gotta get through this in order for any of it to make sense. ] Noctis... was the Prince of Lucis, the only country to withstand Niflheim's wrath. So the Chancellor and Emperor offered his father peace if Noctis and I were to be wed. But that did not happen, and they killed his father. I managed to escape with something from his father... and I began my duties to my new king by forging covenants for him so that he would stand a chance against both the darkness and the Empire. Noctis is special, you see... he is not just the king, but the Chosen King. I kept the Starscouge at bay, but it is his job to banish the darkness and the scourge completely. When finally he and I were reunited... I had dragged the goddess Leviathan from the sea for him, but the covenants came with a price... my life. Ardyn took advantage of that, and saw fit to stab me at my weakest moment in front of Noctis while he was impaired.

[ She sighs heavily, finally turning to look at Cloud. She doesn't look sad, she just looks resigned. ] He killed me and made Noctis watch. All he had to do was wait a few more weeks and I'd have been dead regardless, but he stole my last chance to properly see Noctis away. That... is why Noctis dislikes him so.

Edited 2017-09-11 12:06 (UTC)

[Cloud's hand goes tighter and tighter around his wrist as he listens, the lines on his face deepening as his expression twists into that of bitter fury. So the similarities between she and Aerith run even deeper than he'd suspected. Holy, no wonder she'd been so excited and even a little desperate at the wedding; they kept her locked up, kept them apart and then dangled their marriage over their heads just to orchestrate a fucking assassination...]

...I shoulda let him go at that asshole, [Cloud growls, snarling down at the ground between them.] I stopped him- I should've just backed him up. No wonder he wanted to kill that bastard.

[ Lunafreya closes her eyes as she recounts everything, before she opens them and turns her gaze up to the stars above. She's glad that Cloud stopped Noctis from attacking Ardyn, she's glad that both of them didn't go after the Chancellor... he may not be immortal here, but he's still powerful. ]

No... the Chancellor isn't worth the safety of either you or Noctis. What is done is done at home, no one can change it. Besides, he may have killed me, but I still managed to fulfill my own destiny by helping Noctis with his. [ Which brings along a whole new guilt now that she knows what Noct's ultimate fate is going to be, too. Not that she's going to bring that particular subject up right now. ]

My one wish was to see Noctis one last time, and I did get to see him... even for just a short while. Just not the way I had wanted. But now.... that is why I cannot bring myself to hate the Atroma. I know they have done some bad things, but without them, I would not have had the chance to see Noctis again, or meet you... or anyone, for that matter. Before coming here, I had no friends save for Noctis, I wasn't allowed. I feel very grateful for this second chance. I think Noctis is grateful, too.

I am.

_{[Noctis descended on them and sat in the sand across from them, making a little triangle of people. He has a plate of food in one hand and two drinks in the other. He sets one next to his wife. He saw hers was getting low.]}

Sorry. I heard you two talking. But you're right, Luna. I can't hate being here. I don't want to leave because leaving means going back to the way things are at home... and... us dying to save the world. _{[He grits his teeth when he says it like it's a punch to the gut but he has to say it. He... he watched her die, he needed to talk about that at home so much and he needs to talk about his own. It's painful, he can barely stand it. He won't fight it but it's a lot for anyone to process. He can't imagine how Luna handled knowing she would die. She's the strong one between them.]}

But you have friends now, Luna. People love you because you're amazing. _{[he looked over at Cloud.]}

And I'm glad you stopped me. There was no point... he's going to lose when I get home, there isn't a point to it now. I can't kill him here.

I bet it'd feel real damn good, though. [Cloud is ALL about catharsis when it comes to killing the fucking shit out of evil people.

...but fine, yeah, not gonna go any further than that. Not least of all because he can, to a degree, understand exactly what they're feeling. He might be the one who survived back home, but like he told Aerith just a few days ago, that doesn't mean he wants to go back.] Look...for what it's worth, I get it. [Cloud rubs the back of his neck before glancing up between the two of them.] I'm not goin' home either. Not when there's so much to lose right here.

[ Luna quickly looks up as Noctis approaches, and she finds herself smiling despite the dark conversation... and look, he's even brought her a drink. ]

Thank you, Noctis. [ She reaches to sip at her drink, feeling her heart sink just a little more as he speaks. She knows now what he's going to face, too, and it's not what she wanted for him at all. Out of everyone in the world, Noctis deserves better than what's getting forced on him... but no one can stop it. And she knows that while he may not like it, while she certainly hates it, he will do what he has to do to save the world.

Her cheeks turn a little pink, though. ]

Ah-- I... I'm not amazing, but thank you, dear. But I know... sometimes I feel a little selfish when I think about how we are able to just live relatively peacefully here, yet at home there are people suffering in droves. [ Luna turns her gaze down at her drink, idly running her finger around the rim of the cup before she looks back up at Cloud. She knows that he can understand... he's lost people, too, he knows the pain and sacrifice. ]

I suppose the three of us have a lot in common. [ Even if some of those common factors are a little depressing. Something hits her, though, and her eyes widen. ] Oh! I never really got to properly introduce you two, did I? I know you sort of met at the wedding, but I never got to formally introduce you.

[ And she's wanted to -- she thinks that Cloud and Noctis would make good friends, and she desperately wants to see both of them making more friends in general. Her smile brightens considerably at the thought. ]

Cloud, this is Noctis Lucis Caelum, King of Lucis. [ Sorry, Noctis. You're not getting away with just being a prince, you're a king in her eyes even if you don't see it yourself just yet. ] Noctis, this is one of my closest friends, Cloud Strife. Nothing pleases me more than to be able to finally introduce the two of you, especially without Chancellor Izunia in the way.

Oh it will... but his time is coming. Our time is now. I'm in no hurry. _{[He nods when Cloud says what they're both thinking. Too much is at stake here, too much to lose here in the fleet.]}

Time is frozen at home, Luna. It doesn't make a difference if we're here ten or twenty years. I hope we can be... but I think you went through enough at home. You earned this.

_{[He looked to Cloud again and nodded when they were introduced.]}

You don't have to call me a king, Luna. I'm just Noct here... but thanks, Cloud... for being there for her. And for standing up with her at the wedding. _{[You're his wife's friend so you are his friend without any further introduction.]}

We have a dog wandering around here too.... where is Umbra anyway?

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY WIFEY

Noctis or Luna or BOTH just tag which one you want.

BEST HUBBY ;;

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I really thought I tagged this omg

/paps :>

:3

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VOLLEYBALL and SANDCASTLES

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Bonfire

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