Title: Accordo Apple Crisp
Fandom: Final Fantasy XV
Characters: Coctura, Dino Ghiranze, Noctis Lucis Caelum
Rating: PG13
Length: 3, 058 words
Warning: Spoilers for the second half of the game
Summary: Every visitor to the Mother of Pearl restaurant is an opportunity for Coctura to impress; she relishes the prospect.

"Hey Coctura, catch--!"

"Ah--?!"

Dino's voice, from the other side of the counter, took Coctura by surprise; he threw the object in his hand gently, however, and she caught it without difficulty. She held some mild curiosity - as to why Dino had called out in the first place, what exactly it was he was throwing around inside the restaurant - but looking down at the thing she now held, all became clear.

"Oh...! They arrived!"

"Just now, looks like." Dino leant his elbows against the counter. "I'm expectin' great things from you, there."

Coctura knew that there was no point in complaining about such a niche objection as the import of ingredients - of all the consequences of Niflheim's predilection towards occupation and invasion, there were far greater and more vicious than this. However, there was the part of her that still held pride in her ability to craft recipes and present dishes for the paying public, and it would have been a lie to say that restrictions in travel hadn't had an impact on that which she was able to create. The ideal would have been to restrict the menu to that which could be found within Lucis, and Coctura was sure that the Galdin Quay tourists would understand should import difficulty present a menu change, but she wished to avoid that for as long as was possible. Importing was difficult, for now, but not impossible, and so she was determined to continue.

The temperate climate of Accordo made its produce highly desirable - paragraphs of advertising for any Altissia-bound holiday would always wax lyrical on the manner of food that could be found there. Not everybody could - or had the desire to - travel to Altissia, however, and having recipes on the menu with known ingredients from Accordo was an excellent way to attract customers. Coctura enjoyed the challenge, also - she felt quite used to the ingredients found within their own continent, but those from abroad had untapped potential, many possibilities that she hadn't previously had much by way of opportunity to explore. The apple now in her hands represented the first shipment in quite some time - the blanket ban on travel to or from Altissia had caused a lot of problems for her, import-wise, and so to see that apple there, now, meant surely that something must have improved. It was difficult, of course, to know why the Empire really ever did anything, but if travel by sea had resumed, then that could surely only be a good thing.

"I had no idea you were such a gourmet."

"I know what I like, okay? And I know that whatever you go cook up with those? It's gonna be somethin' special. So I'm lookin' forward to it." He threw his hands up in a defensive motion. "I'm givin' you a compliment! What more do you want from me!?"

Coctura laughed gently in response, still allowing most of her attention to be taken by the apple. The skin was smooth and unblemished, a pleasing red color interspersed with strands of orange that could, on another example, have faded to yellow. It was quite large, and previous experience with the fruit led her to know of its mellow, sweet flavor. A number of options presented themselves for potential menu candidates - perhaps even multiple offerings, depending on how much fruit they'd been able to procure. Her next break wasn't for another hour, but she knew the shipment would be there, waiting for her; she wondered if it was a strange thing, to be so excited at the prospect - but she couldn't help herself. There had been some uncertainty over when it had been likely to arrive, too - the last prospective estimate she'd heard would have had them waiting for at least another week. If that had been the case then she knew there would have been little to be done about it, but even a week could have an impact on the quality of a fresh ingredient. But that was no longer a concern, and so she could rest easy; she smiled her way through the rest of her shift, knowing what awaited her.


-----


It was impossible to ignore the way in which days and nights were changing. It wasn't unusual for the seasons to bring shorter and longer days (and nights), and an optimistic soul might have wondered it a sign of the approaching end of the year, but as time went on, it was harder and harder to be optimistic. Even in small, habitual ways, it was obvious - Coctura knew how the days would change, as she set her morning alarm for the same time every day. In the winter she would wake to darkness and in the summer she could wake to find the sun already shining, but this change was so strange and so sudden that she knew it couldn't be ascribed to a simple change in the seasons.

And if it were only the length of hours left in the day, that would have been one matter, but then there was that of them--. The monsters that roamed the surrounding area, the daemons. Galdin Quay itself was bright and protected, with ongoing instruction for such things given by regularly-visiting Hunters, but it wasn't impossible to stand on the pier and look out towards the nearest beaches and see a flash of fire, an unearthly glow, to hear the low and guttural cry of something from across the water. The daemons didn't approach, and hadn't for as long as Coctura had been at Galdin Quay, but she still felt very aware of how little she knew by way of battle - for her, it had not been a consideration up to that point, and she was sure she was far from the only one. She'd always known that the increased risk of danger was the price one paid for living outside of the Crown City, but it was the environment she'd grown up in, and she'd always known to be aware.

Don't go out at night, and you'll be safe.

Stick to the towns, the outposts, the settlements, and you'll be safe.

Call on the Hunters whenever you need; they'll protect you.

Follow the rules, and you'll never have to worry.

Up to that point, that advice had seemed to serve her well. She knew of the danger, and had heard tell of those who had fallen prey to terrible creatures and wicked daemons - but she would wake, make her way to the restaurant, perform her duty, and then leave for the evening. They'd leave in groups, chaperoned by Hunters, taking the shortest known distance to where they knew it to be safe. Again, she had grown used to this as a routine, and she was determined to live her life as she could for as long as was possible.

There came talk of daemon attacks increasing, the numbers of daemons increasing... it had been easy to ignore such things, to start with, but before long it was as if it were the only subject on the lips of those frequenting the restaurant. One could only ignore the encroaching night for so long; the sky would only come to light far into the morning, and it would be only a short handful of hours before it would darken once more.

Visitors still came to the Mother of Pearl, up to a point - it had always been known that the view from Galdin Quay was beautiful, during the night. That was never not the case, but there was something strange about this night - it seemed harder and harder to see the night sky, the moon, the stars. The sky itself seemed obscured - as if the weather were cloudy, but more than that, somehow.

Coctura had heard discussion of it on the radio, at times. That if the night advanced as it had done up to this point, then the only foreseeable conclusion would be for the darkness to claim everything under its shroud. Even then, there was still part of the human conscious that could do nothing but hope in the face of the evidence - that wouldn't really happen though, would it? It can't be, surely, that daylight could just... vanish, could it?

The days, then, stopped altogether.


-----


As the daylight had faded, the Hunters had taken action. Lestallum was quickly set up as the oasis of safety in a world that had suddenly increased its danger; time passed, and even those from Accordo - or as far afield as Niflheim - were directed there. The power plant gave enough power to illuminate the threat of the daemons away, and word spread quickly that the Hunters requested those who could travel there to do so - those who couldn't could request assistance, as needed.

"I'm not--... going."

Dino had stopped in his tracks, surprised at her words. "Huh?"

"Galdin Quay has always been safe... hasn't it? We've got light. We've got generators. We've got back-up generators. It's what we've always done, so--..."

"The Hunters ain't gonna come out this far, you know. That's why they want everyone in Lestallum - then at least they can keep an eye on everybody, yeah? Look, Coctura, babe, I get it--"

"Do you, though--!?"

"... I really do. This is your place, right? If you leave it, who's gonna look after it?"

"I--... know it's foolish. You're--... right." She'd attempted a smile. "We've hardly had any visitors, of late. It's quite unusual."

"Look, if it makes you feel any better - I'll stay here so long as you do. Yeah? And when you decide you wanna go to Lestallum, then, I'll go too."

"What?! No, you--... you should go. Why would you stay?!"

He'd grinned, at that. "Like I said. This is your place, isn't it? I wanna protect it just as much as you do. If it gets bad, we can just run, right?" He'd taken one of her hands, pressing something into her palm. "Here's somethin' from me. Should give you a little extra protection."

She found herself taking to bed more and more often, as the darkness wore on. A lack of visitors to the establishment at least meant freedom to use the on-site beds; Coctura would clutch the jewel of the necklace in her hand as she looked out towards the choppy waters beyond, recalling the times at which they'd seemed so still and so clear. She felt tired, a lot of the time, and she didn't know why. Perhaps that was just what happened to humans, subjected to a lack of sunlight. Perhaps it was the stress of the situation - they'd never known anything like it, so there was no telling how anybody would react.

It seemed hopeless to keep guard at the restaurant, but the only other option was to abandon it, and she couldn't bring herself to do that. The lights of Galdin Quay were still visible from the ocean beyond - there still came boats from Altissia, albeit with less frequency as time passed. To abandon Galdin Quay was to abandon a point of hope for those who might have been looking for it, and as such, Coctura endured.

Maybe I'll go to Lestallum, she thought to herself. The next time a boat comes. (But if there were boats after that--...)

They checked the generators daily. It was imperative, after all, to keep them active. Coctura knew that, were there to be a problem, there might be little they could do to fix it - perhaps they could call in the Hunters, get the attention of those still at Hammerhead, call on them to make the repairs, but she knew it more likely that they would be told point-blank to evacuate, and if any assistance were to arrive, it would only be to take them immediately to Lestallum. She knew that, but she still felt determined to stay for as long as she could. As long as there was light, there was life.

It wasn't clear when the generators failed, or why. Perhaps there had been an issue with the primary source for longer than Coctura had been aware of. Perhaps it had just reached the end of its natural lifespan - when was the last time they'd been replaced? She didn't know. She'd looked at it with Dino, who'd stared at it with a similar mix of confusion and concern. He'd smiled at her, telling her it was nothing to worry about - he knew a guy, and they could totally fix it, just as soon as he could get in contact with that guy to find out what the problem was. He spoke of it as easily as one might some cosmetic damage to a vehicle; just a little here, a little there, good as new. Coctura knew the situation far more grave than that, but felt strengthened by his smile. There were the back-up generators too, of course.

Perhaps it was because they'd sat in place for so long without use and without regular testing that those generators also failed. The darkness was absolute, of a kind that Coctura had never known, and the awful everpresent noises the daemons made had never sounded closer. She woke in her bed to the darkness, initially unable to take in what had happened, trying to steady herself enough for a plan of action. Clutching the necklace to her chest, she'd called for Dino; no response. She wanted to believe that he only hadn't heard her, but couldn't stop the fear that gripped her from within.

She opened the door to a deafening screech from something not human. Coctura had almost fallen back, but managed at least to keep a grip on the door handle - she slammed it shut before falling to the floor. Daemons. They're here. They're here--! There was no time. She picked herself up from the floor and felt her way back to the bed, the bedside cabinet, to her mobile phone. How quickly can the Hunters get here...? She hardly dared breathe, waiting for the call to connect, fully aware of the sound of the daemons just beyond the door. Maybe the Hunters won't make it in time. Maybe I'll have to make a run for it--

Gathering her courage, she kept the phone pressed to her ear as she, once again, approached the door.


-----


Coctura had always known, in her heart, that she wouldn't leave Galdin Quay. The rational thing would have been to have accepted the requests of the Hunters, to go to Lestallum as soon as the darkness fell, but--... she'd wanted to stay. She didn't want to see the restaurant fall. She couldn't bear to leave the pier to darkness, on the offchance that refugees from other continents might yet still arrive. She wanted to believe that, as long as they had the light, there was some hope that things could be as they were - the sun would rise, and the restaurant would be full, and she'd delight in cooking for them all, once more...

Somehow, the daemons seemed to leave her be. Was Dino still out there? If he was, he hadn't come looking for her. The thought of raising her voice to catch his attention had seemed just as likely to catch the attention of the daemons, and so she'd kept to her bed, as still and as silent as she could manage.

The lethargy waxed and waned. She woke, suddenly, with the urge to check the shipments. It seemed ridiculous that she hadn't - and had anybody? The shipments needed checking. The return order for Altissia needed to be double-checked. Why was she even in bed? The restaurant wouldn't run itself--!

The door lay broken off its hinges. They'd have to do something about that, wouldn't they? Call someone in. Had it always been so dark? She didn't mind, but that seemed strange. There was something about the darkness, wasn't there? Something she'd had to remember. Something they had to keep in mind. Something...

The shipments! She couldn't leave them any longer. Had the journey from the main center of the restaurant always taken so long? She stepped carefully down the staircase that would take her to the pier. Nothing there. Strange. She stood and watched, for a time, as if doing so would summon the boats from the darkness - but it would be too dark for any boat, like this. Maybe that's why the shipment hadn't arrived? She hadn't heard anything. She'd have to contact them. She'd have to phone them. See what had happened. Find out what the delay was. Take vengeance, if necessary.

The growls and shrieks of daemons were annoying, but she could silence them quickly. None are safe. But the shipments, though--... the customers! There was so much to manage, and nobody around to manage it. Where are all the other members of staff? They'd have to call a meeting. Reiterate the importance of being punctual. How important that was in maintaining the image of the establishment. Revenge. Revenge. Revenge.

She waited, still, at the restaurant. She came to forget what it was, precisely, she was waiting for, but as she paced around, knife in hand, she knew she'd never leave.


-----


A noise, from the pier--

the shipments--?

she couldn't move fast enough, but she was ready

she'd been waiting for so long, but there was noise and movement and a target--

(nothing like the daemons. a human? he moved so fast. his weapons glittered in the dark, but hers was strong--)


-----


Coctura met Noctis, there at Galdin Quay. He cleared the area of daemons, unable to comprehend what had happened to it, and to the world.

(He didn't recognize her, but he had no reason to.)

As he sat by the campfire, Umbra at his side, he contemplated the necklace he'd picked up from his previous battle. Strangely elaborate. Daemons have things like this, now? It seemed sturdy, powerful. Useful, perhaps. Familiar? The thought seemed strange. Why would something like this seem familiar...?

Regardless, he returned it to his pocket, and stood to resume his journey towards Hammerhead.