nysalogs | [ CLOSED ] ❝ in a constant state of disarray ❞

[ Prompto had all but jumped at the opportunity to take up a task that involved protecting the deserters. After vising their camps several time and learning just how devastated they were - and over something so pointless, too - he'd been constantly looking for opportunities to lend a helping hand. But there's only so much extra food he can afford to buy, and it doesn't go far. Protecting people is more in his wheelhouse, anyway. After months spent fighting alongside the prince, it's a role strangely familiar to him, and as he picks up the red crystal that Voss had lent to him, he can't help but reflect on just how similar this is to a quest they might've taken on back home.

So he's as upbeat as ever, even as he paces frenetically in front of the group he and Akira have been assigned to escort. There's eight people in all, including men, women, and children, none of whom appear combat-ready. That means it's up to them to see them safely through to the temple. Aside from his guns, hidden away until he needs to call them into his hand, he has a rapier and focus strapped at his side. He's still not very good with them, but hey...better to have more weapons at his disposal, right?

So long as he doesn't literally fall on his own sword, anyway. ]

Ooookay, so...are we gonna make a plan for this, or should we just wing it?

[ All while glancing between his crystal and the marker some distance away on the ground. Altruistic efforts aside, he so can't wait to try this out. ]

[ For Akira, this isn't quite like infiltrating a Palace or hunting down a mark in Mementos, but the overall idea is the same; take down tyrants, help the oppressed.

The Temple had managed to send advance notice to their beneficiaries, and so it had only been a matter of arriving to the right location at the right time—no need to run around herding cats, figuratively speak. ...It's keeping the group from scattering, when trouble arises, that might pose a challenge. (Akira's had teammates of course, but he's never had to cover so many civilians in combat, and it seems neither of the two boys really know what to expect. His own inventory consists of a pistol, a knife, a persona... and a crystal.) ]

...If you grab their attention, I'll attack from behind.

[ (Underhanded tactics, but hey, he's a thief.) ]

—Don't miss.

[ (He knows from their previous excursion that Prompto's an ace shot, so that's more a joke than anything else...) Still, the gunslinger probably won't be able to see Akira sneaking about either, if the crystals really work they way they'd been described by the acolytes.

And as for the rest of the caravan... Akira tilts his head toward the group behind them. ]

Arsene can guard them.

[ Prompto nods along with the plan. Even if he and Akira have never worked together in a combat situation like this before, it's not difficult to tell that Akira is the more subtle of the two of them. And getting people's attention is something of Prompto's specialty, for better or for worse. ]

Got it! Don't worry - 'attention-grabbing' is my middle name! Not literally.

[ He doesn't have a middle name. Also, who would name their kid 'attention-grabbing'? That's just silly.

Anyway.

He follows Akira's gesture back towards the group. ]

Uh...Arsene? [ Did someone else sign up for this mission that he wasn't aware of? That's cool, and all, but hopefully they show up soon before they get this show on the road! ]

[ He blinks at him slowly, before responding quite seriously, ]

I thought 'Punch-It' was your middle name.

[ Have you been lying to him this entire time, Prompto... You wound him...

Deep heartbreak aside, he realizes not everyone's seen his persona, and quickly shrugs, as if the gesture alone might dispel any confusion. ]

You'll know when you see him. Big guy.

[ (Very hard to miss.)

—And it isn't much longer until they have to put their schemes into actual practice. There's the woods fringing Olympia to cross, in order to reach the city gates, and as soon as they step foot past the tree line it becomes apparent their arrival is an awaited one.

He doesn't bring Arsene out just yet, requesting the group to stay back while their two escorts charge forward to greet the opposition. ]

Ready?

[ On signal, he curls his hand tight around his crystal and dissolves into the shadow of the nearest tree. (There's the faintest sign of grass bending under his swift tread, but it's difficult to catch in the obscured lighting. He moves with minimal sound and without hesitation.) ]

[ Damn! He really needs to keep better tabs on his middle names. He shoots Akira an apologetic, "my bad" kind-of look. He'll do better next time...

But his attention is quickly turned back to the identity of the mysterious "Arsene", who sounds like some kind of thug at this point, but whatever, as long as Akira trusts him, Prompto trusts him, too. (He may or may not be picturing him as some kind of hulking, Gladio-esque figure at this point, who could definitely get the job done if he were here.) ]

Got it. The mysterious body guard is toootally normal.

[ And then he falls silent until they step into the woods. He knew this journey wasn't going to be an easy one - that's the whole point of them being the escort - but he'd been hoping they could make it a little closer to Olympia before they ran into trouble. That way, they could make a mad dash for it if something went wrong.

But nothing's going to go wrong. They got this. Right?

Right. ]

Ready.

[ As Akira disappears, Prompto similarly grasps his crystal, strolling right into the guards' line of sight like he's just out for his evening walk. In the woods. By himself. ]

Evening, gentlemen! I don't suppose you've seen my friend, have you? His name is... [ Okay, here goes. Phew - he really should have practiced this more beforehand. But without another moment of hesitation, Prompto lifts the crystal, hurtling himself instantly within a yard or so of the guards. ]

Mister Surprise!!

[ He's really got to work on the names. Anyway, now that he has their attention, Prompto zips himself back again, but further away from where the group is hiding, to lure away the guards so they can slip by. ]

[ Mister... Surprise...

Very succinct, Akira supposes, though it probably fails to strike terror into the hearts of their foes. (Next time he'll remember to spitball some proper codenames with Prompto; an entourage like theirs operates with only the most melodramatic, most overwrought titles.)

—but enough about that, they've work to do. His partner doesn't fail to deliver, effectively drawing hostile attention with his flashy, improbable movements. (Even Akira stops for a minute to marvel at the teleportation, before he kicks himself into gear—can't waste a perfectly good opening standing around gawking.)

He leans forward and into a full sprint, ramming his elbow hard into the gut of an unsuspecting guard. He immediately twists back into the cover of the shade, disappearing as suddenly as he'd emerged, and takes down several more men in a similar fashion before they even notice their numbers thinning. (With only one visible target, they end up doubling down on the blond gunslinger, some even aiming for the bystanders at the edge of the forest.) ]

Think again.

[ It's Arsene's turn to bat. The persona emerges in a demonic blaze of fire and shadow—and so does Akira (who deduces as much when he's forced to dodge a sudden projectile). He glances down at his crystal, confused, and then at Prompto—

His friend is suddenly gone, though Akira thinks he hears a familiar whoop from somewhere yonder. (Technical difficulties... This'll be good...) ]

[ And just as planned, Akira bolts out of the darkness to stealth-attack the guards, and Prompto has to resist the urge to call out to him with the battlefield banter he's so used to swapping with his friends. He can gives Akira all his best one-liners later. For now, he's got to keep the attention of the remaining guards on himself. ]

Take a picture, it'll last longer!

[ This is ironic, coming from himself, but whatever it takes. Unfortunately, it's not quite enough, but just as Prompto is about to bodily put himself between the guards and the group at the edge of the trees when in comes Arsene - or, at least, what assumes must be Arsene - and Akira. But why isn't Akira in the shadows any longer? Was that advantage already spent?

...It's about at this time when Prompto glances down at himself - or lack of himself. So, okay, he's the invisible one now.

Guess it's his turn to hassle the guards from the cover of darkness, though he's not nearly as subtle as his friend. At least the switcheroo has seemed to stumped their enemies. ]

[ This isn't quite the 'element of surprise' they'd planned (it's not supposed to be a surprise to them as well????), but victory goes to whoever's quick on the draw.

—And that would be Prompto, of course, who starts landing hits from nowhere on their twice-befuddled foes. In the meantime, Akira has Arsene cleave down a few trees to form makeshift barrier between the attackers and the caravan, leading the group past the haphazard fighting while his persona smacks down anyone foolish enough to get close.

Their roles reverse again within minutes (crystal's functions finally restored), and Akira blinks out of existence once more as Prompto tags back in. He signals the blond to regroup with a piercing whistle before leaping back into the fray himself, ready to help take out the last of the hostiles. ]

[ He got sorta used to his temporary invisibility, and so by the time Prompto reappears he's making a truly gleeful expression, having way more fun than he probably should be given the circumstances. But he wasn't exactly expecting to turn invisible like that. May as well have a good time!

But he hasn't forgotten what they're there for, and so when he blinks back into visibility, Prompto uses his own crystal to teleport near Akira, slamming his elbow into the back of one of the last guards standing as he appears. ]

We've got 'em on the ropes!

[ They might actually get through this thing! ]

[ Prompto's is as good in a brawl as he is in a meteor field, isn't he? (Akira's rather enjoying this himself, Joker's grin creeping across his face as they take turns pummeling their enemies into submission. —Even a few crystal mishaps don't deter him; he just thinks of it as a handicap, like in any good fighting game.)

Best of all, there are few enough left that stealth doesn't really matter anymore. Akira's free to unload his bad one-liners as he pleases. ]

Finish them!

[ Like something staged out of a cutscene, they both manage to land a perfectly-timed kick on the last crony. The man drops to the ground with an abbreviated grunt, and Akira raises an arm to share a victory fist bump with his partner. ]

Nailed it.

[ Oh, man, that one-liner was expertly deployed, and after the last guard falls, Prompto turns to Akira with a respectful nod. It takes a real warrior to wield battle taunts effectively, and that leaves Prompto about as impressed as anything else. He pounds that fist bump soundly. ]

Dude, we totally slayed! ...I mean, y'know, in a non-lethal way. [ He glances back at the group beyond the trees, where they wait anxiously to move on, though looking encouraged now that they are one step closer to their refuge. ]

C'mon. Let's keep these guys movin'.

[ This isn't the strangest job he's ever had, which is saying something, but it's definitely up there.

Rather than knock out a priest and steal his clothes - that's just underhanded, you know? - Prompto managed to convince one of them to lend him a set of robes after claiming a dragon ate his. It's easy enough to pretend to be a bumbling idiot in need of sympathy, as it turns out, and now he's in full disguise. It's not likely to last long, so he has to make quick work of it once he makes his way into the temple. Find the supplies, find and excuse to get out of there, and make the delivery. Easy peasy.

Of course, anytime he thinks of something as "easy peasy" it turns out not to be quite so, and soon enough he's shuffled into a line of priests off to perform some rituals. Unfortunately, he sorta missed what rituals they were going to perform, so he glances at the guy next to him, assumes he's a full-blown priest, and asks: ]

So! Uh...lost my schedule this morning! Yep. Dragon...ate it. [ THAT'S HIS EXCUSE FOR EVERYTHING ] What're we off to do, now?

[ Prompto's in luck. Because not only does JJ also barely have any idea what's going on, he's considerably less suspicious of any oddities than say, the shaman directly to his right. He's not sure why he's back here, doing this job, but if he's going to be spending some time in Wyver then he might as well make the most of it.

Except, when Prompto comes around and expects him to know whats going on... Maybe the reason that he's not suspicious is because he's too busy panicking and wondering how to cover his own butt. ]

We're...

[ He has no idea. Hopefully it's not more blood drinking. But if he gets it wrong the new guy will get suspicious and sell him out. ]

Officiating some marriages. Or cleaning the altar.

[ That doesn't sound that great, so he opts for another route: ] There is no permanence or limitation to the work we must do.

[ See, the first two answers were straightforward enough, but the last one throws Prompto for a loop, and he straightens up like he's been caught with his hand in a cookie jar. Damn! He's so not gonna fit in here easily, unless he can start behaving like this guy. No permanence or limitation...that's deep.

So, he decides to say something equally deep back. ]

Uh - yeah. Word.

[ Wait, that wasn't deep at all!!! ]

Iiii mean - nothing is true. Everything is permitted.

[ fuck ]

A-anyway - yep! Can't wait to...get to officiating those marriages!

[ A few of the other priests are shooting him strange looks now, but fortunately a group of them split off down another corridor. Hopefully that's not the way the medical supplies are stored... ]

[ Word?? That sounds really modern for a shaman?!

He was going for the more old-timey type of dialogue, but perhaps he's got it all wrong. It makes sense, since the people of Wyver are kind of rowdy. ]

Yes, that's always a wild time.

[ Which is true. He's pretty sure he saw a couple going to town on each other once before, considerably more PDA than the chase kisses that JJ is familiar with.

Awkwardness aside, he notices the way that the shamans are starting to file down the corridors, all of them armed with the knowledge of their tasks for the day and prepared to get to work. JJ's just glad there doesn't seem to be a big ceremony going on right now, so that he can wander around alone and unseen.

As soon as he ditches this guy. ]

So... guess I'll be going then. [ The fact that they've been hovering around for so long is probably suspicious. JJ just squints at Prompto for a second. ] Do you need any help? Medical help?

[ Prompto's eyes widen slightly at that question. Oh, shit - has he been caught already? That's such a weirdly specific thing to ask. But then he eyes JJ right back, one of his eyebrows slooowly arching upwards. ]

..............Yyyyyyyes. For my....bunions.

[ Gross. But these shoes are seriously uncomfortable, the priests probably have tons of problems with 'em!

He clears his throat, glancing away conspicuously. ]

Do you know where I could find some...nonspecific medical supplies?

[ Bunions?? JJ tries not to make a face at that. (Then again, he's a figure skater, so the state of his own feet is somewhat horrific after a long day of practice.)

But it looks like this guy plans to tail him. JJ's torn between lying and running the risk of encountering him again as he tries to snipe some of the supplies, and coming clean and trying to ditch him later on. ]

For bunions? That sounds serious. [ He'll opt for the middle truth. ] You probably require specific treatment, you've never sought it out before?

[ A question for a question, and maybe this guy will be able to give him some valuable information. ]

[ Middle truth is the name of the game, because Prompto sure doesn't know the first thing about treating bunions, regardless of whether or not he really has them or not.

(He doesn't. His self-care regimen includes foot care, too!!!) ]

Nnnnnope, can't say I have! It's a...recent development.

[ So recent he might not yet be symptomatic?! ]

[ That's helpful.

JJ just gives Prompto an uncertain look. But he's actually asked for help and JJ can't just leave him alone. Especially when he doesn't seem to have a clue about what's going on—it just wouldn't be very shaman-like of him. ]

Okay. Then just follow me.

[ He only has a vague recollection of where the medical supplies are stored from the last time that he was here, and the hallways are dark, eerily similar and seemingly leading to nothing but more darkness. ]

It must be hard to walk with those bunions... You can rest if you'd like, and I'll come back.

[ Oh, shoot, right! He should be in pain, shouldn't he? Immediately, Prompto adds a little conscious limp to his walk. Yeah. Sure hurts to put pressure on his feet, just like it has this whole time! Hah.... ]

Ohhh, it's not so bad! You get used to it after awhile. [ ... ] But not so used to it that I don't need any bandages! Or...medicine? Guess I'm not all that familiar with how they're treated...

[ That part is 100% truth. But that's better, anyway. He wants to get his hands on as many medical supplies as possible. ]

[ That sure is a suspicious limp there buddy?! Maybe if JJ wasn't 1) such an idiot himself, and 2) too busy worrying that he's going to get caught, he'd notice just how shady Prompto's... everything is.

Honestly, JJ doesn't know anything about bunions. He'd lost feeling in his feet after a year of skating competitively, but he just smiles like he has everything under control. ]

We'll get you fixed up in no time.

[ Except he's starting to have less and less of an idea of where they're going, and he hopes his apprehension isn't showing too clearly. Eventually, sounds start to echo from ahead of them and he's not sure if that's a good or bad thing. He doesn't particularly want to be found out as a fraud by running into an actual shaman, but neither does he want to get lost in the labyrinth with this random fellow. ]

[ Uh-oh. This guy doesn't seem to have caught onto him yet - somehow - but Prompto isn't sure he'll survive scrutiny from a more senior, more experienced shaman. (He can only guess this guy must be new, and therefore not yet quite up to speed on all the...shamanisms.) Or maybe once they come upon whoever's up ahead he can try to split off and search on his own, but that might throw even more suspicion on him.

Before they turn the corner, he decides to venture: ]

You sure this is the way? I, uh, really need those supplies!

[ He keeps going back and forth on this... ]

[ CLOSED ] ❝ in a constant state of disarray ❞

➟ akira (safe haven.)

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➟ jj (playing preacher.)

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