lifeaftr | What's Past is Past

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What's Past is Past

Who: Shion and open to everyone! Along with a locked prompt for Aster and for Ignis.
What: Shion has some apologies to make. After that he goes to explore the areas around the Story Tellers temple.
When: 28th February
Where: Islets and areas surrounding the Story tellers temple
Warnings: Mentions of attempted stabbing r.e reset penalty. Danger in the form of centipuppies. I'll add anything else as it comes up.

[Shack 4, Island 4, early morning- for Aster] The shack that Shion and Aster shared was still mostly a ruin, they had done a decent job on patching up the holes in the walls with sticks, vines and leaves but they were still working on a more permanent solution. It kept out the weather but Shion feared that it would not hold up against any kind of wild weather or storm. They still very little in terms of a roof and vines hung over the gap that served as a door.

In the far corner of the shack, the only part that had an almost functional roof Shion and Aster slept. The two of them and Excalibur curled up under their coats like they had been every night since Shion arrived bar the time they had been on the floating islands.

However this morning Aster would wake to a new weight on her stomach and if that were not enough to wake her, face licks from a very excited cat who was very happy to see her again.

[Cottage 2, Islet 1- For Ignis though his housemates are welcome!] Apologising to Aster had been the easy part, if your definition of easy consisted of following some kind of imposed instinct to pray to a Deity of stories for a gift from a world beyond this one. But the point was that Aster had already forgiven him. The gift wasn't really the apology. The promise to try better was the apology but Aster had never been mad at him, just like he would never be mad at her if she hurt him, because he would know that the only reason she would do so would be if she ceased to be in control of her own actions.

But Ignis... Ignis was a stranger. He was a stranger and this was a strange land. In the Tower in this situation Shion would not have hesitated seeking someone out if he had hurt them in an experiment. Okay so things had been awkward sometimes, but everyone understood. If the administrators forced you to hurt others then it was an awful thing on all sides.

But here... it had happened to him but Shion had no idea how frequent that sort of thing happened. Ignis didn't know him at all, he might just believe Shion to be a violent person. Might be afraid of him, or more likely might be angry at him.

Shion would accept anger. Deserved anger They had real bodies here, death was real. If he had succeeded...

Shion chased the unthinkable thought from his mind, he was apprehensive as he made his way to the islet where Ignis lived. Aster had given him instructions and soon he was stood outside the cottage that he hoped Ignis lived.

He felt even more awkward, what if it was the wrong cottage? What if Ignis wasn't there? He had forgotten to ask if Aster knew if Ignis lived with anyone else. Hello, I'm here to see Ignis and apologise for trying to murder him was not going to down very well.

[Outside the story tellers temple- midday OTA]

Ceej had told him that this was a good place to meet people as there was a lot of foot traffic moving through here. So he tried to spend some time here every day. Today was very warm and so he was sat in as much shade as he could find.

He was trying to get some idea of exactly how many people were here, even at the storytelling it had been hard to tell. It seemed like people disappeared here as well, he had seen the list on the rock. Not as... useful as the graveyard in the Tower as it seemed the list was added to only by those that lived here. But still a way to remember. The rock writing had said sometimes they came back. Shion wondered where they went, and if he could find anyone who knew.

He had so many questions and very few answers. It was like when he first arrived at the Tower and knew nothing. He needed to gather information and he knew that people will have learned things, he just had to find the right people to ask. His feelings about going home were a lot more complicated than they had been before he had ended up on the floating islands but he still hated being trapped. Hated that Aster was trapped, that anyone was trapped.

He was quiet, thinking and watching though if he spotted anyone that he knew he would great them. Excalibur, Aster's multicoloured catdog dream eater, was a lot less hesitant about greeting anyone that came past.

[Jungle near the story tellers temple- later afternoon OTA]

So far outside of being transported to the floating islands and the island he had woken up on Shion had not gone anywhere past the Story teller temple. He had ventured into the jungle a tiny bit to collect vines and leaves but never very far.

This time though he plans to go a bit further, to explore a bit more. He returned Excalibur to the shack and grabbed his knapsack and knife.

At first his exploration went well, he was careful. He kept his route simple, he knew he would be able to remember his path but he did not trust this place at all. It had proven it could access his memories, control his actions.

He noted what he found, mostly jungle. Coconuts. He collected a few, putting them in his bag.

When he first saw the creature in the distance he froze not so much in fear as wariness. Animals didn't frighten him, not really. At first it looked like a hyena and Shion had never seen one outside of pictures, his wariness turned to awe, but then to something more akin to horror as it moved and he realised it wasn't a hyena. It was...

It wasn't an animal Shion knew. In fact it looked more like the sort of monsters that had prowled the Tower. It wasn't alone.

Shion began backing off, eyes darting around. Forcing himself to remain calm. He had clearly wandered into their territory, hopefully if he left they wouldn't pursue...

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Twas a scrawny blonde that opened the flap of cloth that they called a door. At least it blocked out some wind? Practically a luxury apartment on the islets.

His eyes widened slightly in surprise when he saw the boy on the other side. "Oh, hey there. ...Shion, right? What's up?"

Despite having a 'cottage', the place wasn't all that big. Shion would be able to see most of it right from the door. At least the boys were used to sharing small spaces, though. And there was at least one fat bird that had it's own spot in the corner.

Shion blinked as he was faced with a familiar face. Familiar as in he had seen him once before. Prompto, one of Aster's friends. Had a cute chocobo called Coco. Shion froze, stared at Prompto in shock. Like he wanted to run.

His mouth opened, closed, opened again. Red eyes darted around, looking for an escape.

"Um..." He was panicking, he had to breathe, he had to do this. Naming species of mushrooms in his head, forcing his thoughts to slow down.

"Does Ignis live here?"

"Oh, you're looking for Iggy?"

That at least explained something. Maybe the kid wanted some good eats. Prompto stepped back and called out behind him, "Hey, Iggy! Shion's here to see you."

He moved further back into the house, clearly expecting Shion to come in. They were all friends here, right? So why not? Plopping down on a makeshift cloth-covered stump, he motioned for Shion to make himself comfortable.

"I'm blind, not deaf Prompto," Ignis' voice is quite serious, but despite that there is a smirk pulling on the corner of his mouth making it clear to those who know him he is only joking. He finishes smoothing and folding one of the many bundles of what looks to be tent canvas around him. Mentally, he thanks the Jormun once more for this kind gift and then turns his attention to the doorway where he assumes Shion is standing.

"I would say it's good to see you, but I'm afraid my sight fled with the islands. It is good to hear you, nonetheless. Is there something we can do for you?"

Shion nodded wide eyed and took half a step forwards entering the cottage properly. Ignis' voice made him freeze though and he stood on the threshold looking like he might just turn and run.

He had planned this, gone over what he was going to say. But Prompto's presence had thrown him a little and now he was actually face to face with Ignis all of his words had left his head.

"Oh..." That was... cruel. Giving him sight for a short time to take it away from him again. He's not surprised, that the islands had been that cruel. But it saddens him.

He blinks again, breathing. "I... I'm sorry... I didn't... I shouldn't..." He shook his head and took another breath.

"I'm sorry I tried to kill you... Thank you for stopping me."

Prompto thought absolutely nothing of it. He didn't know what Shion wanted, but it wasn't all that weird for someone just to come over. He didn't really have a reaction until the very end, when shock clearly hit his face and he glanced between them quickly.

"Wait, what?" Brows furrowed, he looked to Ignis, and looked like he was ready to get back on his feet. Not that he thought Shion was a particular threat at the moment, but he'd never thought he would be a threat at all, and anything happening to his bros concerned him.

Ignis doesn't need to see Prompto's expression to know the blonde is about to jump to his feet. It's what any of them would do when faced with something like this.

He holds out his hand toward his friend in a calming motion, "It's not as bad as it sounds, Prompto. Something happened to him on the island and he wasn't acting in his right mind." Ignis turns his attention back to Shion, "There is no need to apologize or thank me. I just did what was needed to make sure you didn't have to regret your actions once you came back to yourself. You're doing all right now? No after effects?"

Shion forced himself not to move, eyes flickering between Ignis and Prompto. He stayed, and breathed. He was surprised Prompto was so calm. If someone had turned up to their shack and announced they had tried to kill Aster...

Well Shion was not sure he would have been able to hold back his anger. "I'm sorry." He repeated and blinked at Ignis. Who did not seem angry at all.

That was both relieving and worrying. Because if he understood... did that mean such things were normal here?

"I..." He nodded, "There doesn't seem to be..." The urge to collect had disappeared as soon as it had arrived. He was just glad he had not hurt anybody. That it had been Ignis who he had found and not someone like Seto or Ren.

"I... I'll make it up to you in some way." Somehow.

Prompto was trying to figure out how this wouldn't be 'as bad as it sounded'. He'd anxiously, somewhat defensively, gotten to his feet but stayed frozen in his spot, warily eyeing Shion but also glancing back at Ignis. As much as he didn't like what Shion said, he also trusted Ignis. Iggy wouldn't be reckless about something like this.

"...Was it back on Monsun or something?" he asked, trying to piece it together. If they had been on the wrong side of Monsun, maybe that would make sense.

"There's nothing to make up. You weren't in control of your mind. It's hardly the first time it's happened here." Ah, and there is the answer to the question Shion was wondering about. Things like this, well, they happen a little too often for Ignis' taste.

He turns toward Prompto's voice, shaking his head, "Not on Monsun. It was while we were on the floating islands. Something altered how he was thinking. He believed he needed to 'collect' me. Unfortunately, he also believed the proper collection tool was a knife."

Oddly enough, for a moment, a smirk lifts the corner of Ignis mouth, "You know me and knives, Prompto. No offense dear Shion, but I was never in any real danger."

Monsun? Shion hadn't been there. Aster had taken him to the islets but not to Monsun, it had disappeared Shion had known that much. But it had effected people's minds as well? It did not shock Shion but it angered him. This place, it was so much like the tower. It seemed better on first glance. But those floating islands, using their memories against them. Ren being shrank. Wanting to collect people. Mild maybe compared to Jason's experiments and Ruana's games, but awful all the same. Meant to hurt them.

He looked down at the floor as Ignis explained what had happened to Prompto. He blushed at the last statement. It was true he was no match for Ignis, for anybody really. Not at the moment, he doubted that even a month ago, when he had been two years older and a lot stronger he would have been any match. But if it had not been Ignis...

"I am glad I was not a danger." For once in his life he was glad that he was not strong, not a fighter. "It is something that happened a lot where I was before... I am glad no one was hurt." This time.

Accepting Ignis' assessment, even if he still had some lingering reservations, Prompto nodded and relaxed his stance.

"Well, it's a good thing. I don't know what I'd do if something happened to you." He glanced between them. "I wasn't up on those islands all that long compared to some. I don't know if that's a good or a bad thing."

Because it meant friends had been up there without him. Also meant less time to get good photographs. "Why do weird things keep popping up so often? It seems like we hardly get a break."

"Fighting skill is a double-edged sword. Most of us would only ever use such skill to protect, but then things like this happen and we lose control over the skills we fought so hard to learn. For what it is worth, those not in control of their own thoughts often don't fight at full potential. Perhaps we can spar sometime? I'm no Gladio, but I'm sure there are still things we can teach each other," Ignis wishes he could see Shion's face right now. He feels something self-deprecating in the young man's words and he wants more than anything to wipe that self-deprecation away. In this case, it had been to their advantage that Shion wasn't fighting at full strength. They would not have walked away mostly uninjured otherwise.

Ignis turns a gentle smile Prompto's direction, "You would do as you always do, Prompto. Survive. You are much stronger than you give yourself credit for."

"I wish I had an answer for your question, but I'm afraid the only thoughts I have so far are those I had not long after we got there. The Storyteller and whoever else is in power want to make sure we are kept too busy to look deeply into why we are here and how we can get home. If we are fighting to survive and protect each other, we have no time to find those secrets they don't want us to know."

Shion nodded, it was true. Physical strength could be used against you. In places like this. Even... He didn't need such places and such happenings to lose control. It had taken him months before he could bring himself to train again after killing Reno. Now... he wondered if he should. On the one hand it would allow him to be more help to Aster, if he were stronger. But on the other, he could hurt her. Properly hurt her if he lost control again.

"I..." He looked down, "Maybe. I know how to fight... my... in the last place I was at a man adopted me and Aster, he trained us. But that was before... This is my real body, I never trained in it so I don't have... I'm not very strong." Understatement of the year. Sparing would be a good thing, but he needed to find a way to make sure he was not a danger first.

He thought about Prompto's question and Ignis' answer. "That was how it was where I was before. Something was always happening. Experiments or games. They were distracting, it was a long time before we could get past... just surviving and managed to discover the truth." He frowned again.

"The storyteller said... he said everything on those islands came from within us. That the rock could not create from nothing. Nothing in this archipelago can not even the story teller himself. I met a girl called Ren... she had been shrank small and wanted to hide. That could have come from inside her, a desire to be small and not seen." Ignis had gotten his sight back. That could easily of come from within him. Shion had hurt others. He knew that came from within him, he stared at his bandaged and bruised hands. Much more than just the bruise Ignis had put there.

"You weren't in your real body before?" He tried to recall if Xion... or Aster, had said something about that. Sometimes it was hard to keep track of these things. People were from such varying worlds, and when they talked about them it occasionally almost sounded nonsensical.

With one more glance between them, Prompto decided to sit back down, relaxing even if there was a bit of force behind it.

"Sounds real good that I wasn't up there long. Guess I avoided a lot of trouble. I'd hate to get stepped on." A soft smile appeared on his face as his gaze turned towards Ignis. "I mean, I got a chance to share with Iggy, and that was enough."

And hey, they had a guest, so, "You want some water or something? I'd offer coffee but we haven't gotten that down yet."

"Reno, correct? The one who was like a father to you there?" Ignis focuses on that and not the unease the idea of being in a body not his own causes. Prompto's covered that topic with his question anyway, "Fortunately, fighting is both mental and physical. You may not have the body that trained and grew stronger for it, but your mind will remember how to fight. We just need to bring your current body up to speed if that is what you wish."

Ignis falls strangely quiet when Shion shifts from talking about the other world he and Aster were on and to the floating islands. Everything that appeared there came from within them? Then why had the ring come to him? Surely, he hadn't...

Why would he wish it back to himself considering he has no right to wield its power?

Even though he tries to hide it, his expression is troubled. What's more telling is that he doesn't react to Prompto's coffee comment despite the fact his first disastrous attempts to make it have almost become a running joke at this point.

Shion nodded, "Yes Reno." It was true, he could still remember how to fight. He still had the instincts that Reno had trained into him. Just the day before he had fallen and automatically rolled, his mind knew what it was doing, he just needed his body to catch up.

He shook his head at Prompto "We... were we were before. Our worlds had died. One soul was 'rescued'," You can hear the quotation marks there, he wouldn't be Reno's son if he hadn't picked up some level of basic sarcasm, "From each world. But that was all. Our soul. We were in... they were made of wire and foil and filled with liquid that kept our soul alive. The place we were in was filled with glamour... like illusions... that made us look like ourselves but it wasn't the truth."

Breathing. Breathing was a great thing. He wasn't there any more. They had escaped. He blinked at Prompto, "Water would be nice..."

He frowned. All of that sounded pretty horrifying and kind of like being trapped in a big tube or something. He wasn't quite sure how it worked with a 'soul'. He'd never seen a soul separated from a body... Maybe like a ghost? But how could that be physical then?

Other places were really confusing.

He pushed up to his feet and went to grab a bowl made from half a coconut, answering in a voice too cheery for the current subject, "All right, I'll grab some. B-R-B."

With that he scurried out of the home to go fetch some water nearby. That, at least, didn't take too much thought.

Ignis listens to Prompto's footsteps as they move away, and as they fade, he stands, slowly making his way to sit in front of Shion. Once settled, he holds out his hands an offer for Shion to take them. The young man almost sounds as if he's on the edge of a panic attack.

It's a feeling Ignis knows too well.

"My apologies. That got a little far into something you aren't ready to talk about, didn't it? Take my hands and just breath with me. You're safe here. They can't hurt you anymore."

Shion's eyes flickered to follow Prompto, he had left abruptly. His voice... Shion worried that he had upset him. It didn't make the low level panic that was rising within him any better.

He blinked in surprise when Ignis approached him. He had been so focused on breathing that he hadn't even noticed him move. That wasn't good. He had to concentrate.

He took Ignis' hands, touch was good. An anchor. "I'm okay." He took another breath and nodded at Ignis. Though his words were less than reassuring. Ruana couldn't hurt him anymore but unknown forces that were not even known by a god could. He shook his head.

"It's not safe." Not here, not anywhere. His own city experimented on it's people. He had been stolen from not one but two worlds.

He didn't think he had ever been safe. Sure he had felt safe once. Back when he was a naive child who knew nothing about the world. But safety was an illusion, an illusion for pampered brats. Reality was not safe, yet reality was what he would chose.

"I think..." Breathing, "I think I scared Prompto." He feels bad about that. After all he had turned up to his house, announced he had tried to kill his friend and now frightened him. This was not going the way Shion had planned.

"You're okay only for a certain measure of okay," Ignis smiles slightly. "Take your time. I'm familiar with anxiety and how crippling it can be. It's a rude sort, unwilling to listen to logic and fact no matter how much you throw at it," his thumbs move gently, regularly, over the backs of Shion's hands to give him one more rhythm to use for grounding purposes.

"There is no such thing as absolute safety. You're right in that, but what I mean is that you are as safe as you can be. If anything happens while you are here, both Prompto and I will defend you. You can relax. You're not alone."

He turns his gaze toward the door Prompto had disappeared out, "He learned something upsetting about himself not long before he was brought here. I'm afraid part of your story reminded him of it." Ignis makes a mental note to talk to Prompto later before turning his face back toward Shion, "It's not your fault and he won't blame you. You had no way of knowing."

[Hands on his calmed him, the regular circling of Ignis' thumb on his hand was something to focus on, to cling to and calm slowly returned. Refuses to listen to logic... It was true, feeling like this did not always mean he was in danger, but it was hard to convince himself he wasn't.

He was no stranger to other people being scared and upset. The Tower had not been full of happy souls. But the fear that gripped him, that caused him to drift and panic and have to scrabble for purchase on reality. Ignis seemed to be saying that it was something he knew too.

Another breath]

I'm sorry... I should be more careful, I didn't mean to frighten him or bring back bad memories.

"It's not your fault," Ignis repeats the words with a little more force, though his voice is still gentle. "I know it's easy to do, but you can't blame yourself for everything that goes wrong. As much as we may not like it, there are some things that are beyond our control. All we can do is prepare and then patch each other up after the fact."

Not long ago, Ignis wouldn't have been able to say that with the honesty he feels that Shion deserves, but Altissia changed all that. It forced him to accept that he can't always have the crystal clarity and control he wants. He can only do his best.

Of course, accepting that emotionally is harder than knowing it logically, but he's trying.

"I know..." He looked down, breathed again. It was another promise, one he broke far too much. He had to try and not blame himself for things beyond his control. It was something he was not too good at.

The words were true though, prepare for the worst and pull each other back to their feet afterwards. Such was the way of the worlds. He took another breath.

"Thank you."

"You're most welcome. Now, chin up, hmm?" Ignis gives his hands a squeeze and then a gentle pat before finally letting go, "We've too much to do to waste our energy blaming ourselves for things others don't blame us for." He grins suddenly, turning his head toward the door, "For example, it looks like we have to go find Prompto. I imagine he's been distracted by Coco or some photo opportunity."

Shion smiled and nodded, squeezing Ignis' hand back and glanced at the door. "Coco is pretty distracting."

He was so cute after all but it was true, Prompto had been a while. It might be that he had had to take a moment to calm down and Shion understood that, but they should go and check on him, make sure he was alright.

He stood and started towards the door.

Ignis thought he could predict Prompto but how wrong he was. Prompto was distracted by Coco and a photo opportunity. The not-so-little bird was resting on top of a rock near the edge of the island, and with his camera in one hand and a bowl full of water in the other, Prompto was doing his best to catch him while he looked like a perched round puffball.

He wasn't paying attention to much, however. After snapping the pic and carefully standing back up, he turned to notice that Shion seemed to be leaving.

"Oh, hey."
How long had he been gone?

"Got the water," he said simply as he trotted over to give him the bowl. He at least seemed a little calmer. He could talk in more detail with Ignis, privately, later.

Ah, Prompto. Always exceeding expectations, and here he is arriving so very promptly too.

Yeah, that one's so bad not even Ignis is going to say it out loud. He does smile as he leans in the doorway of the cottage, though.

"We were beginning to worry you got lost looking for that water. Did Coco decide to 'help' you out?

Shion was glad to see Prompto as well, glad to see that he was at least outwardly calm, that Shion hadn't upset him too much.

"Thank you." He took the water with a smile and reached out to pet Coco and blinked at the camera.

"You are recording things?" He's surprised that any technology works here, there are no power sources and it's not like any of their homes are weather proof. But Prompto wouldn't be carrying it around it if didn't work. It looked different than the cameras in his own world and the ones on the strange dark room in the Tower, but it was still recognisable.

Troubled as he was he could at least be resilient, too.

With a pause he glanced at it camera, holding it up to indicate it with one hand.

"Not video. Just pics. Don't worry, I'm not recording everything you do or anything."

Not even his camera would have the space to do that all the time. Stepping towards Ignis as Shion went to pet the little bird, he relaxed his posture as he explained to the adviser, "It was a double whammy, I couldn't miss it! Coco was looking like a fuzzy pom-pom, all puffed out cutely, and sitting on a rock right in front of a perfect shot of the ocean."

Normally he wouldn't put in so much detail but Ignis was blind here. He needed to know these things if he wanted to be able to picture it!

Coco looked up at Shion as he approached but seemed content in his spot, eyes following him.

Prompto added more quietly to Ignis, "Everything go okay in there?"

"Goodness, that would be a shame to miss, now wouldn't it?" There is slight teasing tone to Ignis' words, but at the same time, he is also quite serious. It sounds like a wonderful picture and it really would be a shame for Prompto to miss it. Who knows? Ignis might even get to see it someday.

When Prompto asks his hushed question, Ignis nods before answering softly, "He's sorry he upset you. I let him know you wouldn't blame him. It's not like he knew what that place would remind you of. We can speak of it more later. I'm sure you have some questions you want to ask."

His hand finds Prompto's arm and he gives it a squeeze, "For now, there is a small chocobo who demands our attention, yes?"

Shion nodded, he hadn't thought Prompto was recording everything they did, but he was unsure why he would be taking pictures at all. Perhaps it was to remember, the same way Shion wrote things down. Promto seemed excited though so Shion smiled and petted Coco again.

"Um... Thank you for the water Promto, and thank you Ignis." For everything went unsaid, for not blaming him for the attack, for calming him down and listening.

"I should be getting back before Aster gets worried."

"Yeah, sure. Come over any time."

They greeting was light and friendly. No, he hadn't forgotten anything, but he would tuck it away to the back of his mind and leave it there. Just in case.

With that, he gently guided Ignis over to where the fluffy bird was. Who was to say the advisor didn't want to get in some petting, too? All in all, things were going to go back to normal. Unless something else happened.

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What's Past is Past

Cottage 2, Islet 1

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I think we're about ready to wrap up. What do you guys think?

feel free to finish off/talk among yourselves!

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