daemonized | RECOLLE IC CONTACT.

[Friendships are like that, Dante. Real ones. You begin to care about each other's happiness, which is how it should rightfully be.]

Noctis. And there certainly were no intonations of a joke when we had our conversation.

[Granted, it was over text, but the young man had tried to deflect a few times, and Ardyn would simply not let him do it. He gives Dante a considering glance.] Between you and I, I think he came to the realization that he may have feelings for Prompto, but... there's a fear, there. I don't know if he's ready to confront it, and there's only so much I want to push either of them.

Still, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little concerned.

Concerned? [Yeah, there's no surprise that it's Noct. Even though he'd fought the idea just as much as Prompto had, he'd been more comfortable joking about all of that than Dante thinks Prompto would have been.]

Because they won't talk about it?

Because they might continue on as nothing has changed, when in reality, this is not something that can go on unremarked on for any length of time.

[So, yes, because they won't talk about it.]

If they were not already such close friends, maybe they could get away with it. But I fear that someone will just end up getting hurt, if some form of communication doesn't open up.

[Dante snorts outright at that.]

That's for sure. It's already almost happened--I mentioned how Noct and I were cracking jokes about me going pantsless? Retrospec thought it'd be funny to send part of that to Prompto.

[He's still not entirely sure if Prompto was unhappy because of the two of them being close or if it was the pantslessness specifically, but...]

[Ardyn lifts an eyebrow. Somehow, he's not surprised. Retrospec has been being particularly difficult... again.]

And his reaction to it?

[He shrugs, lifting his good hand to make a wavery kind of motion.]

I'm not sure if he didn't appreciate it because of the content, or because it made him worry that we were leaving him behind, but I wound up screenshotting the conversation to show him as an explanation.

[Give him a moment and he'll just pull up the conversation? Honestly this is probably the better way to do it--maybe Ardyn won't be able to pull anything more from it, but maybe he will, too.]

[There seems to be a running theme of people showing him other conversations on the phone, but he doesn't remark on it. Instead, he takes the offered phone just briefly enough to glance over the screenshots.

He hesitates, before lifting his gaze to meet Dante's again. He offers the phone back.]

That was most likely... his insecurities speaking. Like what he said.

[Ardyn has caught more than just a glimpse of them first-hand.]

Though who's the say it might not have been a little of both? No matter what the reason was, it's still an example of why I would hate for anything overly complicated to... come between the two of them.

[You know, such as feelings of adoration or romance that remain unremarked upon. That's nothing but a recipe for disaster, even if it's initially just... easier to ignore at first.]

[Look, it's a lot easier to do it that way than it is to "he said, I said" through the whole conversation, all right? And Dante trusts Ardyn not to go digging around in it. It's fine.

But he'll take the phone back with a nod.]

That's what I thought, too. At least it was pretty easy to clear up.

So is there anything we can actually do about this? Or am I going to have to listen to them worrying about how gay they're being for each other forever?

Well, what have you done?

[It isn't a matter of being patronizing. It's a legitimately curious question.]

Have you tried to have a serious discussion with either of them about this? How much do you want to play matchmaker? There can be no change if neither of them are willing.

[He shrugs.]

Noct and I talked about it at the beginning of the month and he freaked out, so I let it go. Then he sent me that, so I gave him some shit about Prompto, but I didn't want to push him too far.

I haven't really talked to Prompto that much this month. He's been pretty busy ever since he found out he's got a real brother.

[Not that that's got him worried or anything. Guys can have more than one brother, and it's not like just because Cloud's his real brother their friendship is anything less, right?]

Noct asked me to help plan a birthday party next month for him, though. It's... a little over the top, but I think Prompto'll like it.

[But in spite of what he's saying, there's a scowl on his face.]

I don't want to play matchmaker, I just don't want to deal with the sexual tension between them any more.

[He shrugs at all of this, the antithesis to Dante's scowl. It's not so much resignation as it is an admission that he's done just about as much as one can, without pushing too much.]

I think it's to the point where we can't have both.

[Unfortunately. But then Ardyn's smile becomes a bit wry.]

There's never any shame in pulling the strings, just a little, from a distance. If such an opportunity becomes available to us. Not so much a push, but a nudge in the right direction.

[He wonders if there would be an opportunity during this party.]

[He is ROLLING HIS EYES when Ardyn says they can't have both, even though he knows it's true.]

What, do you have some sort of plan?

[Don't roll your eyes at him just because you know he's right.]

Mm, not much of an actual plan. You did say this was going to be an extravagant birthday party, didn't you? I wonder if it would be too ambitious of us to hope that they might find a moment alone together.

Well, I've already taken locking them in the closet off the table.

[Ardyn, are you hoping that they're going to find a moment alone together, or that they're going to wind up in a moment alone together? There's a definite difference.]

It's gonna be big enough, though. It could happen.

[Listen, there may be a difference, but does it matter when you nudge the situation in one direction or another? Harmless enough, he thinks. Manipulative, maybe, but all with good intentions.]

We'll see, won't we? There'll certainly be no need for closets. Maybe only precise timing, if something can be managed.

As long as it doesn't turn into some kind of sitcom thing where you're trying to orchestrate all these moving parts to make it happen.

[That still means he's going to have to wait for another month though. Uuuuuuuugh.]

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