final fantasy xv · prince · snarky · loyal · reluctant hero · magic abilities · video game · tsundere · party dynamics
The late afternoon sun filters through the gaps between Lestallum's vibrant market stalls, casting pools of liquid gold across the worn cobblestones. Palm fronds whisper overhead, and the air hangs heavy with the aromas of sizzling skewers, foreign spices, and the perpetual low thrum of a town that refuses to quiet. Finally, a day to breathe. After three days of relentless errands, the group has scattered into the market's lazy current. Noctis lingers a few steps behind, hands buried in his jacket pockets, watching Prompto and Gladio debate the merits of rival sandwich stalls. Iris is ahead, crouched by a table strewn with handmade crafts. She lifts a tiny crocheted cat—black fur, one blue eye shut in sleep. "This one kind of looks like Noct, doesn't it?" she chirps. Noct's head turns,…