ffxv_kinkmeme | Prompt Post

Welcome to Round Two of the FFXV Kink Meme!

CLOSED for prompts | OPEN for fills

Please have a look at the extended rules here.

The important rules in short:

Post anonymously.
Negative comments on other people's prompts (kink-shaming, pairing-bashing etc.) and personal attacks of any kind will not be tolerated.
Don't be an asshole.
One prompt per comment. Warnings for common triggers and squicks are encouraged, but not required.
Prompts should follow the format: Character/character, prompt.
Keep prompts to a reasonable length; prompts should not be detailed story outlines.
Fills should have the word "Fill:" at the start of the subject line.
Otherwise please avoid changing the subject line.

Please direct any questions or report any problems to the Ask a mod post.

Prompt, write, draw, comment, and most importantly have fun!

(You can also check out our Pinboard for Filled or Unfilled prompts)

UPDATE 3/2/2017: Per the Rules thread: Do not hijack prompts. If someone posts a prompt for one pairing, don't comment to say "I want to see this for [other kink]" - post your own prompt for the other kink). To that end, if you are unclear on a prompter's kinks/DNWs, please feel free to ask about them. If you ask about kinks/DNWs or to clarify a prompt, you are in no way obligated to fill it.

Additionally: Do not repost prompts from the previous round in their entirety. By this we mean copying and pasting prompts without any changes. If you see a similar prompt to a prior prompt, that is not a repost. Obviously prompts that are reposted per the above rule do not count either. (After all, they will be similar but not the same.)

ROUND TWO IS NOW CLOSED FOR PROMPTS!

Go ahead and keep on filling away, we will open up round three for prompts at 0000 EST, Saturday April 22, 2017.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From: (Anonymous)

(Ugh, I am dumb. Please don't read that other Part 6, it is an earlier version of the file. Mod, if you happen by, would you mind deleting that for me? Sorry. -_-;)

===

"We should probably go find a spot for the fireworks," said Noct, some four hours later, apropos of nothing.

Prompto had heard of fireworks, of course – cultured discussion in passing, when Chancellor Izunia had guests at the estate. Accordo, apparently, was renowned for its firework displays. He hadn't known that any were planned for tonight.

"There's fireworks?" Despite the drowsy contentment that had settled over Prompto like a blanket, he perked up at this, setting aside his now-empty plate. It had been a gift from Ignis, laden with another tart and a small assortment of mini-sandwiches. With its contents now in his stomach, Prompto felt... euphoric might be an overstatement, but not by much. He couldn't remember the last time he'd been so happy.

At first he'd been on edge, worried that the Chancellor would spot him.

But the ball, Noct explained early on, stretched throughout twenty of the Citadel's chambers. The chances that Chancellor Izunia would happen to glimpse Prompto in a secluded corner, hidden mostly behind a chair that dwarfed him – much less recognize his scruffy MT in fancy party-wear and spectacles at a distance – seemed less and less likely as the night crept onward.

"Sure," said Noct. "Dad likes them. They're set to start at midnight, so we've only got like five minutes."

Prompto was just opening his mouth to ask why Noct's father had any bearing on the entertainment – was he responsible for some of the festivities, as Ignis apparently was? – when the final sentence caught up to his brain.

"Wait," said Prompto. "Midnight?"

He was on his feet in half an instant, looking for the door.

"What is it?" Noct asked him. "What's wrong?"

"I've got to go," said Prompto, spotting the exit and making toward it.

Noct kept pace, just to his right. "Already?" he said. "But what about the show?"

Prompto felt a pang of – something. Longing, maybe. Regret. Some combination of both. "I can't stay," he said. "I'm sorry. I wish –"

It crashed over him like a wave, so sudden it nearly floored him. Tomorrow morning, he would wake up in his cramped little cubby by the hearth. He'd fix breakfast for everyone but himself, and no one would listen to him ramble on about how he liked spotting shapes in the clouds, or how much he wanted to see a real, live chocobo. No one would tell him about the best fishing spot at Galdin Quay, or elbow him amiably in the side, like they were sharing a secret.

"I wish I could stay," he finished, miserably.

"Well," said Noct. "You'll be here next month, won't you? I'll see you then?"

"What's next month?" said Prompto.

"The second ball."

Hope pounded in like a summer storm at the sudden possibility that there could be another night like this. A month from now, he could have a few more precious hours of light and laughter, somewhere with incredible food and people who called him by his name.

There was nothing in the world that Prompto wanted more. But he needed the cooperation of the dream-creature, and he wasn't sure if it would – or could – bring him a second time.

"I'll try," he said, with all the sincerity he could muster. "I swear, I'll try."

Noct nodded, reluctantly – pulled up short, just beside the entrance. He schooled his face into something smooth and cordial, and he gave Prompto a nod more polite than familiar. But the smile, when it came, was far more intimate. "See you then."

Prompto flashed him a grin in return, pure sunlight. He waved once, wide and exuberant. Then he dashed out the door and down the side stairs – tripped, lost a shoe, and had to go back for it.

Less than a minute later, midnight struck, and Prompto shimmered and blurred at the edges, overcome by the same dizzying sensation from before. He closed his eyes, hard, and when he opened them, he stood in his grey work clothes, streaked with dirt, in the kitchen of Chancellor Izunia's estate.

In his hand, he clutched three lists, and every item on them had been crossed off.

From: (Anonymous)

Part six has been posted three times and I'm getting really confused about where to reply! But I guess here makes sense, as it's a direct response to part five rather than to part four, and the other one was an earlier version?

ANYWAY, I'm still loving this. Poor Prompto, so intensely wishing he could stay. And Noctis, disappointed to see him go so soon, hoping he might come back for the next ball.

From: (Anonymous)

Yyyyeah, I made a giant mess of this. /)_(\

I asked for mod help to get rid of the extras because I fail at making a proper thread apparently. ORZ

A-anyway, thank you for reading and for such a lovely comment! I'm glad you're enjoying!

From: (Anonymous)

===

The month leading up to the second ball felt like the longest month of Prompto's life.

Every night while he dreamed, he sat in a plush black chair with Noct and the small white creature by his side. Every day while he worked, his thoughts flitted away to the bright lights of the Citadel and the wry smile on Noct's lips. Twice he tripped going up the stairs, not paying attention to the world in front of him. Once, lost in daydreams, he burned Chancellor Izunia's salmon, and the Chancellor pressed the side of his arm to the hot frying pan in retaliation.

After that, Prompto was better about paying attention.

Still. When the night of the second ball arrived, Prompto was practically bouncing with anticipation as he saw the Chancellor's retinue to the door. No sooner was it closed and locked, the transport pulled away, than Prompto turned to the empty room.

The creature had promised him, in dreams, that he could go. It had promised. But Prompto was not used to being told that he might have things, and so it was with a great deal of trepidation that he said to the empty room, "Are you here?"

Like a road mirage on a too-hot day, the little creature flickered into being. It squeaked at him, and words appeared above it. "You ready?"

Prompto had never been more ready for anything in his entire life.

This time, he did not stand at the base of the Citadel stairs and marvel at it. This time, he rushed up the steps, anxious to reach what he knew awaited him inside.

He found Noct in the corner, alert and oddly on edge. Some of the tension faded from his face when he saw Prompto – and Prompto, for his part, grinned wide and bright as the sun, setting himself down in the opposite chair.

"I was starting to think you wouldn't show," Noct said, with that wry smile that had played itself over and over in Prompto's mind.

"I haven't thought of anything else all month," Prompto told him, earnestly.

"Well," said Noct, a little taken aback, cheeks shading pink. "Then I'm glad you made it."

"Me, too," said Prompto, and he meant it more than he could have ever put into words.

The night glided by, in a series of vibrant moments: Noct leaning in close, the touch of his hand on Prompto's arm very warm through the silk of his shirt; a detailed play-by-play of the zombie shooting game in the arcade downtown; a mountain of a man who wandered by to introduce himself as Gladio; the absolute bliss of getting to try daggerquill soup, and fresh fruit salad, and Ignis' orange cake; exploring the button on Noct's phone that captured images, filling up screen after screen with snapshots of their laughing faces.

"You're staying for the fireworks this time," Noct asked him, at ten till midnight. "Right?"

Prompto could think of nothing he'd like better. "I can't," he said, reluctantly. "I've got to go."

"Yeah," said Noct, looking oddly disappointed. "Sure. But I'll see you next month?"

To Prompto, next month seemed like it was decades away.

===

At the third ball, Noct met him at the door. He took Prompto by the arm, and Prompto didn't care when the bruises underneath the silk complained, because he'd been waiting all month for this.

"Hey," Noct told him. "Good news. Fireworks are at ten tonight."

"Seriously?" Prompto said, practically vibrating with excitement. "Talk about lucky! I thought I was never gonna get to see them."

"Yeah," said Noct, face going pink again. "Lucky."

At ten, they sat out on the Citadel's steps, watching sprays of color bloom and burst across the sky. Prompto stared up at the glimmering strands of gold and brilliant flashes of light, hardly daring to blink.

And when he began to shiver midway through the show, cool night air creeping through the thin silk of his dress shirt, Noct slipped off his jacket and settled it carefully about Prompto's shoulders.

From: (Anonymous)

D'aww Noct... Setting it up so the fireworks would happen at ten just so Prompto could see them!! This is so precious!
-OP

From: (Anonymous)

Thanks, OP! I'm glad you're still enjoying it. :)

From: (Anonymous)

PS - I hope you don't mind that I'm doing multiple balls instead of all in one night. I have a hard time buying the love at first sight thing in fiction, so I wanted to spread it out a little.

From: (Anonymous)

I don't know what makes me want to cry more.... Ardyn burning Prompto's arm, or Noctis having his dad change the time of the fireworks so Prompto can see them? Or maybe it's Noct lending Prompto his jacket so he'll be warm......... ahhhhhh ;_;

From: (Anonymous)

Poor Prompto needs more nice things. :(

Glad you're enjoying, anon. o/

From: (Anonymous)

"I haven't thought of anything else all month," Prompto told him, earnestly.

I went 'awww' aloud at this. And Noctis's startled reaction!

And Noctis RESCHEDULED THE FIREWORKS and I feel like my heart is going to explode.

From: (Anonymous)

I'm glad! I have to admit, this is more cute and romance-y than most of my stuff, so I'm glad it's got the 'awwww' factor. :)

From: (Anonymous)

===

Ignis and Gladio crashed their private chair party for the fourth ball, and Prompto didn't mind at all.

The conversation was lively with so many people, and Prompto grew more animated as the night slipped by. Gladio brought over flutes of bubbly champagne, and Ignis insisted he try the meat pies, a new recipe. Noct's phone ended up in Prompto's hands – filled up with close-ups of the pie crust, and artistic angles of the ceiling lights, and shot after shot of the four of them, framed by the high backs of their chairs.

The fireworks were at ten again, and they sat out on the steps, all four of them, to watch the sky catch fire.

===

During the fifth ball, Noct took Prompto on a stroll through the Citadel's grounds. It was an ambling, wandering sort of expedition, and they walked so near to one another that their shoulders brushed from time to time.

They passed through room after room of vibrant celebration, ending at last far from the noise and excitement – in the Citadel's gardens, near deserted, where only an occasional party-goer wandered to take in the sights.

High above, the stars were a wash of brilliant white. All around, creeping tendrils of vines draped down from lush green trees. The scent of flowers was heavy on the air; it filled up Prompto's lungs, every time he took a breath.

There was something a little like magic in the velvet dark of the night, the delicate, precious kind that can only be found in the pages of a storybook.

And there on the bank of the reflecting pond, surface bright in the moonlight, Noct reached out and took Prompto's hand in his own.

===

At the sixth ball, Noct introduced Prompto to a refined older gentleman with a neatly groomed salt-and-pepper beard.

"This is my dad," said Noct. "He, uh. He's been wanting to meet you."

Prompto took in his face, cultured and kindly. He could see Noct in the nose, and the cheekbones, and the curve of his brow. He thought briefly of his own father, whom he hadn't seen now for five and a half years, and then shoved the thought away.

"A pleasure to finally put a face to the name," Noct's father told him. "My son's spoken of little else, these past few months."

"Dad," said Noct, face going pink again.

Prompto ducked his head and scuffed the toe of one of his fancy slippers against the polished floor. "Uhm. Nothing too bad, I hope?"

"Oh, no," said Noct's father, face softening into a smile. "Rave reviews, I assure you."

===

"Hey," said Noct, half an hour into the seventh ball. "Wanna ditch?"

Prompto glanced over at him, mouth full of the mushroom he'd just wrestled off the skewer. "Ditch?"

"It's just, y'know," said Noct. "I got this new game, and there's a multiplayer mode, and the AI runs into walls and shoots your party members when you leave it to itself."

Prompto chewed twice – swallowed. "Just you watch," he said, grinning. "I'll go one better. I'll shoot the walls."

Noct, it turned out, had a room in the Citadel. Prompto still wasn't entirely sure what his title was, but he must not take it too seriously, because he stripped the bed and dumped the blankets on the floor so they'd have someplace to sit in front of the television.

By quarter till midnight, they'd made it through eleven levels, and Prompto's name was on every high score chart for accuracy.

He was just standing to go, reluctant, when Noct said, "Hey. What's your number? Maybe you could come over and play some more next week."

There was a moment, one breath-stealing, heart-stopping moment, when Prompto felt a surge of understanding that he was wanted here. His knees went a little watery and he was sure they were going to drop him on the floor.

Then he imagined actually sneaking out – leaving his chores undone so that he could walk the whole way to Insomnia. He imagined the Chancellor's face when he finally returned, and the way the straps on the metal table in the basement would bite into his skin. His brain blanked out the mental image before he could take it further than that, shutting down the promise of imagined pain.

"That's," said Prompto, finding it suddenly hard to breathe. "I'm. I'm pretty busy, most nights. And I don't have a phone." The silence stretched thin. "Sorry."

When he looked up, he discovered that Noct was wearing a shuttered expression, carefully blank. "Right," said Noct. "Sure."

He seemed to hesitate – finally came out with: "Want to play more next time, then? I don't mind waiting. We can pick up at level twelve."

And Prompto, who had been certain Noct would get mad at him, let out a shaky sigh of relief. He threaded their fingers together, like Noct had done in the garden, and he said, "I wouldn't miss it for the world."

===

They beat the game during the eighth ball, sprawled in their elegant finery amid a pile of sheets on Noct's floor.

At 9:30, they emerged into the noise and bustle of the party, just in time to catch the fireworks at ten.

This time, when Prompto started to shiver, Noct didn't give up his jacket. He scooted close enough for them to share, and draped it awkwardly over two sets of shoulders.

From: (Anonymous)

Why do I get the feeling that the other shoe is going to drop (pardon the pun) next chapter? ;_;

From: (Anonymous)

Not quite the next chapter... but soon. Very soon.

From: (Anonymous)

===

During the ninth ball, Noct took him up to the top floor of the Citadel.

There were no guests at all in the long, polished corridors, and the elevator required a passcode. As they slipped up, level upon level, Prompto wondered again at Noct's rank, that he had such unrestricted access.

Then the elevator dinged to a stop, and Noct took his hand and pulled him out onto the balcony, and Prompto forgot about everything but the view.

The lights of Insomnia were spread out below them, twinkling white pinpoints and splashes of neon. Above, like a still reflection in water, the stars stretched overhead, the moon hanging among them round and yellow.

Prompto walked to the balcony's edge as though living a dream. When he looked at Noct beside him, he could not help but notice that Noct's hair was the color of the sky, and that the moonlight caught in his eyes.

Noct huffed a soft laugh, and Prompto swore he'd never heard a better sound. "Thought you might like it."

"Yeah," said Prompto. "Cause it's awesome. Quick, gimme your phone and get over here. It's picture time."

"About that," said Noct, and then faltered to a stop.

Prompto turned to look at him – really look at him. His face was carefully blank, but his shoulders were hunched and he had one hand behind his back. If there was more light, Prompto suspected he'd see that Noct's cheeks were pink.

Noct opened his mouth to speak again – got nothing out. In lieu of words, he took his hand from behind his back and thrust something Prompto's way: a small box, edges crisp and surface glossy.

Prompto took it carefully, squinting down at the image splashed across the front. His eyes grew very wide.

"I figured, someone doesn't have a phone, they probably have a reason," Noct said. "But I wanted –" He stopped, seeming to need time to gather the words. "You ought to be able to take your own pictures."

With trembling fingers, Prompto eased the lid of the box up. He lifted the camera from its wrapping with the reverent care of a mother cradling her child.

"It's for me?" Prompto asked, uncertain. He'd never owned anything before. He'd never imagined the sweet rush of warmth at the thought that, beyond the dreamlike pleasure of these glittering nights, Noct had thought of him.

"Of course it's for you," Noct said, and Prompto felt his eyes stinging, throat unaccountably tight.

"Thanks," Prompto told him, and dredged up a watery smile that glowed brighter than the sun. "It's –" Incredible. Amazing. Mind-blowing. Something he would hide away until the day he died, like a talisman to remind him of better times. Something precious, set aside for when the last of these balls was years in the past and Noct was nothing more than a treasured memory.

Prompto swallowed, the words sticking in his throat like the blade of a knife. "Thanks," he said again instead, more fervently this time.

Before they left the balcony, Prompto filled half a memory card with pictures of the moon, and the shining lights of Insomnia, and their faces, side by side, laughing there in the dark.

From: (Anonymous)

aaaaaaaaaaaa
I am SO NERVOUS for Prompto

From: (Anonymous)

Probably not a bad call. :)a

From: (Anonymous)

Oh no, oh NO! That camera is gonna get found and then he's gonna be in SO MUCH TROUBLE ahhhhhh!!!!

(ALSO, the two of them are so damn sweet but Noctis must be so confused about the whole thing. I also imagine everyone else is ready to pull their hair out trying to figure out Mystery Boy's background)

From: (Anonymous)

Yes, poor Noct has no idea what's going on. It's like, "But he seems like he likes me?? But he doesn't want to hang out any other time???"

And yes, Ignis particularly is exercising extreme restraint in not just doing a background search on the boy. >.>

From: (Anonymous)

===

Prompto hid the camera beneath a loose floorboard in the hall closet – settled it in its box and wrapped it lovingly in one of his cleaning rags, then secreted it away so that Chancellor Izunia would not stumble upon it by accident.

There it stayed, all the long month. There it stayed, until the evening of the tenth ball, when he fished it out with careful fingers.

Then he called for the white creature, and with a now familiar rush of magic, Prompto came to stand upon the steps to the Citadel.

Noct was waiting in his chair, an easy smile on his lips. Ignis had made riceballs, wrapped in seaweed and stuffed with salmon. Even Gladio had an amiable wave for him, though he laughed as soon as Prompto raised the camera to snap a picture of the greeting.

"Guess you like it," Noct put in, expression struggling to remain neutral.

"Just wait," Prompto told him. "I've got all night to show you how much I like it." The shutter snapped, and Noct appeared on the screen, wry and amused. "You're gonna be so sick of this thing."

At five till ten, when the four of them were making their way toward the front steps to find a seat for the fireworks, no one had gotten sick of it. Prompto felt like he was floating over the ground, heart somewhere in the clouds. Noct's arm was linked through his, like a promise.

Then a voice spoke from beside him, mild and unthreatening. "Your Highness," it said. "What a pleasure. I'm afraid I've been remiss in paying my respects."

Prompto knew that voice.

The world slowed to a crawl. Every particle of his body felt like it had been drenched in ice. When Prompto turned, naked horror a crawling snake in his gut, he found himself staring into the smiling face of Chancellor Izunia.

Noct's expression was a smooth mask, utterly unreadable. "Chancellor," he said, cordial but not warm, and inclined his head slightly.

"I won't take too much of your time," said the Chancellor. "I just wanted to let you know that I've enjoyed your little celebrations tremendously." His gaze slid sideways, settling on Prompto. "Why, every time I come, I discover something new I've missed."

Prompto was struck by the sudden thought that his legs weren't going to hold him up. Neither would the ground. He was going to sink into stone of the stairs, and he was going to suffocate there, beneath the earth, and that would be better than going home.

"Kind of you to say so," said Noct. "And for you to attend."

How could he have forgotten that the Chancellor was here? How could he have let himself get so lost in the wonder of these nights that he'd forgotten there was danger, too?

"Now, if you'll excuse me," said Chancellor Izunia. "I believe the fireworks are about to begin." He tipped a slight bow, from the waist – doffed his ever-present hat. Then he moved to turn aside.

He paused at the last moment, however, as though remembering something.

"Oh," he said, tone pleasant. "One last thing, if I may." His eyes searched out Noct's face – shifted sideways, to land firmly on Prompto. "Forgive my saying so." The Chancellor reached up, proprietary and condescending, to pat Prompto on the cheek, "But you look better without the glasses."

From: (Anonymous)

* s c r e a m i n g * ! ! !

oh my god.

Re: [Fill: 10/?] Noctis/Prompto Cinderella AU

From: (Anonymous) - Date: 2017-03-25 09:25 pm (UTC) - Expand

From: (Anonymous)

... I mean, on the bright side at least Noctis will have some kind of idea that Prompto has ties to the Chancellor when Prompto suddenly falls off the face of Eos and he needs to go looking for him?

Re: [Fill: 10/?] Noctis/Prompto Cinderella AU

From: (Anonymous) - Date: 2017-03-25 09:26 pm (UTC) - Expand

From: (Anonymous)

ENDLESS SCREAMING

lifting my arms in the air, Darth Vader-style
NOOOOOOOOOOO

Re: [Fill: 10/?] Noctis/Prompto Cinderella AU

From: (Anonymous) - Date: 2017-03-25 09:27 pm (UTC) - Expand

From: (Anonymous)

With a swish of fabric, he was gone – but his touch slipped through Prompto's veins, curdling his blood. He couldn't seem to pull in enough air; his chest felt like it had steel bands around it.

In another few hours, it probably would.

"Prompto?" said Noct, frowning down at him. "Are you okay?"

From behind came Ignis' voice: "Perhaps he'd best sit down."

But Prompto was shaking his head, already backing away. "No," he managed. "No, no – I just remembered. I've got to go early tonight. I'm sorry. I just – have fun, okay?"

He only had one chance. He had to get back before Chancellor Izunia did, and convince the man that he'd been mistaken. After all, how could an MT with no transportation be here in Insomnia, while all of his chores were getting done at home? It was impossible. The argument was foolproof.

He was gone before any of them could think to stop him – tearing off across the Citadel grounds, out of breath, camera clutched in his hands. When he reached the bottom of the side steps, out of sight from the gathered crowd, he whispered. "Can you hear me? I need to go home early tonight. Please."

The Citadel shimmered around him – grew indistinct and hazy. Then Prompto materialized in the living room of the Chancellor's estate.

In a frenzy, practically in tears, he hid the camera in its spot beneath the floorboards. Then he threw himself into his work, scrubbing until his fingers were raw.

And just before midnight, when the sound of the MK-Helios trundling to a stop outside the door reached his ears, Prompto bowed his head and scrubbed harder.

Three pairs of footsteps sounded in the entryway. Then the Chancellor's voice reached him, level and mild. "C1:NDR3LA," he said – not a bellow, not a threat. Just a quiet word, but Prompto knew better.

He pushed himself, shaking, to his feet. He ducked into the entryway.

"Yes, Chancellor?"

The Chancellor looked him over, head to toe, and Prompto resisted the urge to fidget. The transformation was perfect; it always was. Everything was exactly where it needed to be, from his rumpled hair to his battered old work boots.

"I saw something rather extraordinary tonight," Chancellor Izunia said, idly. "A weapon, hanging from the arm of the crown prince."

Prompto's mouth was very dry. His brain sputtered and sparked, trying to come up with a response. "I don't know what you mean," he said at last.

"Listen to him," sneered Commander Loqi. "He doesn't know what you mean." The commander's voice pitched up, mocking.

"I don't," said Prompto, almost pleading. "I've been here all night."

Commander Caligo smirked, a lazy lift of his lips. "Whoever said you hadn't?"

Prompto froze.

His heart was going to tear its way out of his chest, he was sure. "Nobody," he managed. "Please. I –" He held up his hands, red and wrecked from the hot water and the scrub brush bristles. "I've been cleaning the kitchen floor."

Chancellor Izunia came over to him. He looped his arm through Prompto's, where Noct's had been just two hours earlier. "Poor thing," said the Chancellor, almost gently. "He doesn't understand."

The smile that unfurled across the Chancellor's lips was like a strange and poisonous flower. "Come down to the basement with me," he said. "I'll explain it for you."

===

Some hours later, when Prompto lay bleeding upon a bed of steel and the Chancellor had lingered awhile and then gone, the door to the basement creaked open again.

A silhouette stood there in the door frame, black on white. It spoke with the Chancellor's voice, and it said: "By the way. I found something in the hall closet."

The figure's hand lifted, high above its head. Then it let go.

The camera hit the floor with a crunch. It skittered down twenty-two concrete steps, every impact brittle and sharp. When it came to the bottom, the lens flew out as though trying to escape, cracked and battered.

Without another word, Chancellor Izunia closed the door behind him.