#is that the ace in me or the weird religious atmosphere I grew up around making itself known | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

theusualspotcafe-blog · 7 years

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Tales of a Desert Life

Game: Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy XV

Characters: Prompto, Ignis, Sora, Noctis, Roxas, Ventus, Vanitas, Gladiolus, Xion, Luna

Pairing: Promnis

Rating: Everyone

Author: The Usual Spot Cafe

Word Count: 1583 Words

Notes: Just a simple little story introducing more Al Bhed culture and the Carnival is coming to town! I know there isn’t really a set like time frame for this Au but bear with us here lol

Prompto gasped a sharp intake of breath and rushed over to the campus bulletin board, dragging his boyfriend behind by the hand making the normally graceful Ignis stumble. “Oh. My. Ramuh!”

“Good lord darling! What’s the buzz?”

Prompto reached out and reverently brushed his fingertips against a bright yellow flyer. “The Moogle Chocobo carnival is going to be in town! Next week! We have to go!”

Ignis smiled softly at him, “okay we will, but first we need to ace Professor Izunia’s exam tomorrow.”

Prompto groaned and hung his head, “do we have to?”

“Yes, we do. Now march mister, onward to our study group!”

Prompto groaned again as Ignis began pushing him towards the café where Ignis’s now mandatory large study sessions were held. Honestly the man was a better teacher than a lot of the professors here… not to mention a better slave driver. They made it to the café quickly, greeted by a heavenly scent of coffee and baked goods. Most people avoided the café on Wednesdays because of how large the groups study session was. Nearly everyone ate dinner together here and helped each other out. It was nice for Prompto and those from Destiny Islands especially since it reminded them of being back there and feeling that close familiar feel. Today the atmosphere was more relaxed since it was the beginning of a new semester. You could tell it was more relaxed because barely anyone had their books out and instead Ventus had a ukulele in his hands and was strumming on it quietly. Accompanying him was Vanitas on his black acoustic guitar, Sora with his wooden flute, and even Roxas on the Ocarina. Yes, Roxas was a total dweeb who learned the Ocarina, and yes, Namine could play a harp like no one’s business.

Most of everyone was watching them joke around and play music while the others were lazily sitting about, enjoying a false sense of calm. When Ignis and Prompto walked in they all looked up, Xion’s eyes grew wide.

“The jig is up! Iggy’s here! Grab your books!”

Ignis held up his hands in surrender. “Hold on! If you don’t need to study you don’t have to! However, don’t distract those who do need to study, looking at you Noctis.”

“Hey! I need to study! I swear I’m going to kill Izunia...”

Sora pulled the flute away from his lips, “aren’t you related to him Noct?”

Noctis narrowed his eyes, “what? No? What are a you, medieval jester? What’s with the questions!? And the flute!?”

Gladio chuckled as Noctis buried his face in his study guide, “ignore him Sor. Izunia is like his uncle twice removed or something, it’s weird I wouldn’t think about it too much. Though I am curious about the flute.”

Luna sighed happily, “I’m just curious as to how all of you can play so wonderfully.”

Ventus stopped strumming for a moment, looking up with serene blue eyes. “In Al Bhed culture, music is really important so our mother taught us a lot of instruments along with Al Bhed songs. That’s mostly what we play, Prompto usually sings when we play during our desert trips.”

His friends and Ignis looked up at Prompto shocked while his cousins snickered together evilly. “Dudes! Did you just throw me under the bus!?”

Instead of answering the four boys just went back to playing a jaunty desert song. Ignis turned to Prompto with a raised brow, “I didn’t know you could sing Prompto…”

Prompto just grumbled and threw his bag down on the floor, “it’s nothing special.”

“Perhaps you should show us?”

Prom glared at Luna across the table, “not now Lu. I don’t feel like singing and we’re not on a pilgrimage so I can’t sing some of the songs.”

“Why not?”

Prompto sighed and ran a hand through his hair, “it’s not something you can just sing whenever… a lot of them are like prayers for a safe journey and whatnot.”

“Safe journey?”

Vanitas stopped playing and scrutinized Prompto. “Have your really never told them what a pilgrimage is Prom? That’s like the most important thing our people do.”

Prompto groaned, “dudes I just have never told them okay? It’s a weird religion thing.”

“It’s not religious! It’s more of a… tribal thing.”

Noctis frowned, “if it’s not religious then what is it?”

Now Roxas put down his Ocarina, “it’s like… a birthing ritual. Like when we go through the pilgrimage we are cleansing ourselves of anything that isn’t from the desert and pure to be reborn as a member of the desert. Some people even will do it as a marriage proposal, kinda symbolizing that they accept your culture and wish to be a part of it.” He put the Ocarina back to his lips and began playing again, falling into note alongside Sora again.

Ignis hummed thoughtfully, “that’s rather interesting. I always forget your father is Al Bhed Prompto.”

“Adoptive father but yeah, he’s from Leha’s sister tribe so we would always pass each other on the pilgrimage.”

Luna leaned forward excitedly, “why aren’t the tribes together?”

“The tribes are separated because we swap villages for a day and leave presents for the original villagers. The southern tribe, my tribe, goes to the northern tribe, the Strife tribe, and vice versa.”

Sora stopped playing for a moment, “that’s the cleansing.”

“Going from one end to the other?”

Prompto coughed, “well geez guys it does take a week to get from one village to the next, it’s pretty cleansing if you ask me.”

Ventus chuckled, “we also pray at each oasis, each one representing an astral. You should see Prompto in his prayer clothes, it’s a sight to behold.”

Prompto squawked, “you four better not show them that! You better not!”

The two sets of twins looked at each other before smiling sweetly at him and speaking in unison. “We wouldn’t dream of it Prommy.”

Prompto muttered something at them in Al Bhed as Noctis shivered. “Still creeps me out when you guys do that.”

They just grinned at him before going back to their music. Prompto narrowed his eyes at the large group, but upon seeing that none of them were asking him anymore questions he finally settled down and pulled out the same study guide Noctis was holding.

Ignis leaned closer to him, “my Al Bhed is a bit rusty… did you just call them a rusty pile of dung?”

Prompto snorted, “what? No! I called them a dirty rip off of Aladdin. Where did you get rusty pile of dung?”

Ignis looked slightly mortified as he stared ahead, “I have no idea… perhaps next semester those are the classes I should sign up for.”

“That sounds like a good idea Igs, hey that means that I could be helping you then!”

Ignis smiled fondly, “indeed it does.” They fell into silence as Ignis began helping Prompto and Noctis prepare for their exam, pointing out questions they would get wrong now and then. The silence, minus the light desert/ islander style music coming from Strifes, lasted for awhile until it was broken by Kairi.

“Hey Sor? Is Dad bringing chocobos up for the carnival?”

Sora pulled his flute away, shaking his head, “not this year. While he was visiting us we had a new hatching so he can’t leave them.”

“Aw! Baby chocobos!”

Prompto frowned at the boys, “what!? How will I get to see Lea or Reggie or Chocobutt this year?”

Ventus shrugged, “visit the islands more often?”

Prompto stuck his tongue out at Ven, as Noctis rolled his eyes at the names. “Chocobutt?”

Ignis raised an eyebrow, “here I thought you would be more concerned about the bird named after your father.”

“Wait what?”

Vanitas looked up, his face an expression of confusion. “Dad’s old friend Reggie? He’s Noct’s dad?”

Gladio nodded, “yeah! That’s what my dad and Uncle Cor call him. I actually distantly remember a third bodyguard…”

Ventus snapped his fingers in realization. “Oh yeah! Dad worked as a guard for a big company after he lost his leg! It was the last year we spent in Insomnia… well mom dad and Cloud.”

“And your dad… named a chocobo after him?”

“He said his feathers and stern eyes reminded him of his old friend. I don’t know, dad’s kinda crazy.”

Sora smacked Ven on the arm lightly, “don’t say that Ven! He’s just… eccentric.”

“So, crazy?”

“Don’t be an ass!”

Prompto groaned, “if you guys are going to argue then leave cause I really gotta study for this exam.” He bent back over his papers, his eyebrow twitching.

The others fell silent until Sora mock whispered to the group, “we should all go to the carnival together next week.”

There was a chorus of excitement the swept over the group until Ignis cleared his throat.

“The carnival is next week and we will think about it then, but for the moment you all need to study, so hop to it. You four included.” He pointed to the musicians who groaned in response and put away their instruments, getting their books out instead. The group finally fell quiet, making Ignis smile in relief as he leaned over Prompto, helping him for a moment before being pulled over to help someone else. Ignis went on autopilot as he helped the large group, his mind drifting to dreaming about going to the carnival with his favorite guy and earning enough medallions to get the best seat for fireworks.

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