nysalogs | [ CLOSED ] ❝ what the hell's othello? ❞

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[ CLOSED ] ❝ what the hell's othello? ❞

Who: Prompto (

punshots) & Ardyn (

daemonized)
What: Prompto gets assigned his first mission for the Royal Guard. Guess who his partner is gonna be?
When: Earlier this week
Where: Market District
Warning(s): Ardyn being extra probably

[ Things had started to look up for Prompto, which maybe should have been the first warning sign. He managed to pass his interview to join the Royal Guard without much trouble at all, and eager to start work, he'd jumped at the first opportunity to make an impression. Ashti had assigned him to the Market District with a specific task to start him off: catch a corrupt merchant selling fabric dyed so cheaply it's making people physically ill. Naturally, he intended to do anything he can to stop the guy because it's the right thing to do and he wants to help, but it also doesn't hurt that it sounds cool as heck.

So imagine how his dreams of pulling off a gloriously badass sting operation are shattered when he's told who his assigned partner is going to be. Not by Ashti, but by another ranking officer, something-something schedule changes, new routes, someone's mom is in town, one of the usual reasons. He wasn't listening as closely as he usually does after being told he'd be working with Ardyn.

Well, it can't possibly go worse than what happened at the Blood Bank, can it? Sure. Let's go with that.

Still determined to see this through, Prompto dons a disguise that will proooobably only fool people who don't already know him, so it's a good thing he hasn't been patrolling through the District as a part of his regular guard duties for long. He tried to match the style of a seedy criminal looking for seedy wears, and settles on a long, dusty coat, sunglasses, a brimmed hat, and - you guessed it - a fake beard.

He leans back against the wall in an empty alleyway off the Market District, waiting for his - ugh - "partner" to appear. Never one to stay in one place for very long, he pushes himself up and paces, sits on a crate, and returns to the wall all in about the span of thirty seconds. As he does so, he watches the walls and sky above him, as if he's expecting Ardyn to swoop down on him like a bat. Not like there isn't precedence for something like that happening. The man sure likes to make an entrance, doesn't he? ]

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[Ardyn had to hold back a laugh, borderline cruel, when he found out with whom he'd be partnered with. It was a rather interesting twist of irony, when he had been told that a few shifts had been moved around, and that he was to work with a young man named Prompto Argentum, by another member of the guard. He had smiled wide, and thanked the other for letting him know. He didn't even have to orchestrate this; it appeared that fate simply had its own brand of humor.

And so he makes his way to the assigned place to meet, his own disguise not quite as... well, dedicated as Prompto's, shall we say. It's easy to discard his usual black colors, for the sake of something a bit more muted instead. Get rid of all the layers, dress in only what one would think a commoner would wear (that is, very nondescript clothing in general, perhaps a bit tattered, but generally enough to blend in with the populace), tie one's hair back (messy and windswept thing that it usually is, it is no longer), and Ardyn practically looks unrecognizable in that alone. It helps, of course, that he's new on the job; he's highly doubtful that anyone would recognize him otherwise.

He takes a little back alley, because there's less of a crowd and it presents a shortcut to where he needs to go. As a result, he manages to approach Prompto from the side, though the boy might have trouble seeing him. Immediately, he recognizes him, never mind the sunglasses and hat and the fake beard. He looks ridiculous.

Ardyn is literally only like three steps next to Prompto when he makes his presence known in stark, patronizing laughter.]

And what's that supposed to be, latched onto your face?

[ Yeah, yeah. Some call it fate. Others call it bad luck.

For someone who's supposed to be specifically waiting for Ardyn, Prompto startles at the sudden sound of Ardyn's voice to his side, pushing himself off the wall and whirling to face him in a scramble of reflexes. Where in The Six's name did he even come from? ]

Geez! Seriously - Seriously? [ Can't Ardyn go five minutes without giving him a heart attack??? At least they have the mutual benefit of getting paid to do the same task this time. Noooo repeats of the blood bank for them, no thanks.

Once he collects his nerves again - relatively speaking, anyway - he better assesses how Ardyn's chosen to appear today. Alt outfit or not, his disguise doesn't fool Prompto, which is not exactly the intention here, but he'll give credit where credit is due. If Prompto hadn't been waiting for the man like a jumpy cat, he might've even been impressed that Ardyn managed to take off a scarf for once. ]

It's a beard. [ He manages to say incredibly deadpan. You will not take this away from him, man. If the merchant suspects them for a second he'll bolt, so he went all out. It's perfectly reasonable. ] "Incognito". I see you got the memo.

[Prompto had always been relatively easy to sneak up on, and even easier to instill a sense of anxiety within him. He hadn't even really been trying this time, but Ardyn takes pleasure in it all the same. He just looks patronizingly amused, as is the norm.]

A beard? Your whole ensemble looks like an attempt at a cheap, theatrical production. You do realize that the definition of the word "incognito" means to not draw attention to yourself?

[For instance, look at him. No ~~eye-searing~~ scarf, no layers. The color of his hair will always be something that stands out in a crowd, but there was little to be done about that. He supposes if he really wanted to be unrecognizable, it wouldn't be difficult to use a bit of daemonic magic to appear as someone else entirely, but Ardyn is certain that's more effort than necessary.]

[ He should really stop trying to not let Ardyn get to him, because the harder he tries to remain unaffected, usually the worse things get. His cheeks burn at the insult, second-guessing his entire role in this operation. He can't mess this up. Ashti is count on him. And she's - ugh - counting on Ardyn, too.

There's nothing to do but grit his teeth and bear it, because they're going to have to work together on this, one way or another. Ha. Looks like Ardyn's little fireside prediction came true. ]

You...think I should lose it?

[ He's not so stubborn to jeopardize the mission for the sake of keeping a fake beard. And don't read into it too much. The only matter of expertise which Prompto will defer to Ardyn on is the art of deception, naturally. ]

[Deception is indeed something that he's become fluent with over the centuries. An art honed to a razor's edge. Granted, applying this to Prompto is something a bit more comical than serious, even if the task set before them was meant to be taken quite seriously.]

I think you should. It's unreasonable to expect you to be able to grow and groom that much facial hair.

[HE SAW THAT GOATEE TEN YEARS IN THE FUTURE, OK]

But what do I know? Do whatever it is you like. I imagine all of this will be over relatively quickly, at any rate.

[ The look Prompto gives Ardyn in return for his council is remarkably flat, and after another moment of hesitation, he yanks off the fake beard. This is why no one invites you to parties, man. But he's right - it probably would draw undue attention to himself, and Prompto is going to have enough to worry about playing his part as it is. Now he just looks like a delinquent, which is kind of fits? ]

I-I could totally grown one, but I don't want to. [ Spoken like a man who has to shave like once a week, at best. ]

- Whatever. Let's do this.

[ No point in delaying it further, and working his nerves up even more than they already are. ]

Whatever you say, Prompto.

[Which is dripping in facetiousness, making it more than clear that he does not believe the young man in the slightest.

But he just shrugs, instead casting his gaze down the street, where plenty of stalls line the path before them. It's bustling today, but with enough room for the either of them to weave in and out of the crowd with relative ease as long as they're paying attention.]

Come along, then.

[He supposes that he'll be taking the lead. This isn't surprising, given how he does rather like to exert a controlling presence; Prompto should already be quite aware of this.]

[ It's hardly shocking that Ardyn takes the lead, true, but it still rankles even if it goes uncommented on. Prompto isn't the leadership type. He knows it, Ardyn knows it, and there's little reason to point out to his partner that this was his mission to begin with, so he should be calling the shots. He's a little too preoccupied with not messing this up to worry about it too much right now, anyway.

Prompto falls into step next to Ardyn as they move out of the alleyway and into the crowd. Their target is a few stalls ahead of them, and hasn't even noticed them joining in the common rabble. Okay! So far, so good. They...walked into the street.

He keeps a casual pace, even stopping at one of the other booths to peruse some tchotchkes. Look at him, improvising! ]

[He doesn't look back as he guides Prompto through the crowd. He feels no need to, and he trusts him to follow not too far behind, even if he does stop occasionally to peruse a booth or two. (Trust may be too strong of a word, actually. He assumes that he is ready and able to follow someone as tall as him, at any rate.)

Ardyn indulges himself in no such improvising. Sellers yells at him from a distance to look at their wares, but he isn't so easily distracted. His goal is to move towards their target, whom has already collected a small crowd, which makes it easy enough to slip within and see what all the fuss is about.

It's as expected, of course. He's peddling textiles, the sort that are so cheaply dyed that it's making those who utilize it ill. What a rather mundane way to become sick, he thinks to himself, even as the man unrolls one particularly bright red bolt, adorned with a bright gold floral pattern.

Ardyn is still cognizant of Prompto's presence, and will just observe until the boy decides to merge into this crowd as well.]

[ Ardyn's hunch is right, and Prompto's not so distractable - at least, not when on a mission like this - that he loses track of the other man, even as he feigns interest in the bits and baubles of a couples of the stalls that they pass. Ardyn is always in the corner of his eye, for myriad reasons, but with the crowd that's gathered around their target, it's easy enough to drop his act of casual window shopping and focus on the reason why they're really here.

The merchant holds up the flashy, highly stylish fabric and quotes what even Prompto can recognize as an impossibly low price. It's no wonder people are buying this junk up in droves. It looks nice, and it's cheap. It's...so wrong, taking advantage of people who didn't know better. And they have to stop it.

He doesn't quite meet Ardyn's eyes, but he makes sure the other man has seen him filter into the crowd. Prompto steps up to one of the side tables where a few bolts of fabric sit on display, and runs his hand along the length of a deep blue weave.

...Hopefully he's not going to break out into hives because he touched that. He's only trying to keep up the appearance of an interested buyer. ]

[Whether it's luck or misfortune that causes the shopkeep to turn his attentions to Prompto, another potential customer, is yet to be seen. The fact remains that it happens, and the man offers him a smile adorned with crooked teeth. He puts on his best sales pitch, saying: You there, the one you're admiring, isn't it something? You'll not find quality like this at a cheaper price. I can sell you the entire bolt at a discount; 25 silver is all I ask.

Ardyn, for now, will only watch this transaction take place. He's curious to see just how Prompto handles himself while under mild pressure, and how well he can keep up the act.]

[ The merchant turns his attention to Prompto, and there's a lowkey jolt of panic that strikes through him, immediately thinking he's been caught red - or blue, in this case - handed. He manages to keep his composure, though, acutely aware of Ardyn watching him all the while. The man's attention has him on edge, but the subdued thirst to prove himself works in his favor for once.

He has an idea. ]

25, huh? Not a bad deal...buuuut how about 15 instead? I saw this same pattern down at old Mags's place for ten.

[ He watches the merchant carefully for a reaction then. He never saw the bolt at any other stall. It's a complete bluff, to see what the merchant will say about his suppliers - and whether or not he'll balk at the lowball offer. ]

[The man must be used to putting on a show, indeed, if he doesn't immediately balk at the low-balling. Even Ardyn is mildly impressed, and surely that must be saying something.

Still, his response is as follows: Ten? You must've seen wrong, then, because you'll not find a bolt cheaper than mine. 25 is a steal, and I'll go no lower than that.

Ardyn chooses then to speak up, drawing close enough to stand next to Prompto.]

He didn't see wrong. I saw it myself, as well, and can confirm with confidence that Mags's was selling it for a paltry ten. You'd not call us a pair of liars, would you?

[The man looks up at Ardyn, clearly caught-off guard by the interjection. Still, he seems to consider something for a moment, and Ardyn lifts a brow.

Fine, he says. I'll give it to you for 15, but I'll have you know that I'm sellin' at a loss now. But this is just 'cause I'm good to my first-time customers. You pay full price next time, else how am I supposed'ta pay my suppliers?]

[ It's so extremely weird to have Ardyn backing him up that he almost flips his story just on instinct. But the shopkeep only starts listening once Ardyn has offered his word to back up Prompto's, Now they're getting somewhere, especially when the merchant brings up his suppliers.

With a rush of excitement, Prompto makes a show of digging into his pockets for some silver. ]

I dunno, Mags seems to make it work. Don't you all go through the same network, anyway?

[ Maybe that question is a little too on the nose. But as he pulls out a silver piece to pay for the bolt, he elbows Ardyn in the arm. ]

Word of advice, stranger! Go straight to the source next time.

[did Prompto just elbow him in the arm, he swears to the gods-

If something twitches across his features, Ardyn is too devoted to their ploy that he doesn't allow it to prominently show. Instead, he's made to appear skeptical, arching a brow with a practiced ease, and gives a sidelong glance at Prompto.]

Mm. Maybe you're right. Though what you said is correct, as well. Why not just take our business elsewhere, if he's exaggerating his claims of having to make a profit?

[The man seems to freeze, frowning, and not wishing to lose two potentially interested customers, he says almost immediately, You're wrong, boy, we don't go through the same suppliers. I'll tell you what-- mine are special, all right? This Mags definitely isn't using my people. It ain't exactly...

At that he seems to pause.]

Isn't exactly what? [Ardyn presses further, able to know when what they wish to hear is dangling just a hair's breadth away.

The man leans in conspiratorially, running a hand over a length of already displayed cloth before them. It ain't exactly all by the books. Legal and all that, you know how it goes. He grins wide, 100% certain that this information can be spun as him doing the two of them a favor. (Ardyn has to resist from rolling his eyes, given how easy this was. Idiotic man.)]

Edited 2017-08-31 18:33 (UTC)

[ They've got him right where they want him, and in spite of himself, Prompto can't completely disguise a grin creeping up his features. It's easy enough to play off as a knowing grin, like he's been involved in aaaall sorts of illicit activities before, as he leans forward, too.

The merchant's just told them exactly that they need to hear, implicating himself, and Prompto is about to jump out of his skin with excitement. Look, he knows this is important for the community, but it doesn't hurt that tricking a criminal into confessing is also really cool. Even if he needed Ardyn's help to get this far. He's just. Not going to think about that right now. ]

Ahhh. Now it all makes sense. You've got a pretty sweet gig here, huh? [ And maybe it's too soon to reveal themselves, but the longer they keep this up, the more likely they are to be found out, right? So, lifting a hand to his mouth like he's got a great secret to tell: ] It'd be a real shame if you just spilled your secret to a -

[ But before he even gets to finish this delivery and feel like a true badass, the merchant realizes all too quickly what's happening and makes a break for it, pushing over the table of fabrics and booking it in the opposite direction. So. So much for that plan. Guess it was too soon, but he probably would've tried to run either way. May as well cut to the chase, literally! ]

Aww man, I was just getting to the best part! [ But such is life, and Prompto jumps over the table and breaks into a headlong run after their fleeing suspect. ]

[And so this has all developed in a way that is not at all surprising to Ardyn. The man is pushing over the table right before him, wares spilling at his feet. The merchant darts off through the crowd, people gasping in surprise, and Prompto follows quickly after in a burst of energy.

Ardyn just follows with his gaze, exhaling in not-quite exasperation, but perhaps closer to a boredom that arises from such a pathetic display of predictability. He doesn't seem to follow just yet.

Meanwhile, the merchant is threading through the crowd, not bothering to look back to see if Prompto is giving chase. He turns over a display of clay vases, at least four feet tall, as he winds down the crowded path, hoping to literally trip up any pursuers. Whether or not this is enough to really prove an obstacle to Prompto remains to be seen, but one thing that the young man might notice is that Ardyn is not right behind him, or beside him, or even anywhere in the crowd.]

[ He doesn't notice it right away, too preoccupied with staying on the thief's tail himself to worry about what Ardyn might be doing. He's speedy enough to be reasonably confident he can catch this guy on his own, though those vases certainly aren't appreciated and whoops, the Guard is probably going to end up paying for that. It'll hopefully all be worth it when they bring this guy in, though.

The vases do trip him up, literally, but he manages to reform his stumble into a roll so he doesn't lose too much momentum. Getting tossed around by monsters will learn you a few tricks. Who'd have thunk?

The merchant banks a hard left down a narrow alleyway, Prompto still hot on his heels. The perp seems to know where he's going, like he has a set destination in mind to disappear into, and Prompto renews his speed to catch him before that happens.

Might've been helpful if Ardyn hadn't apparently ditched him, but he's hardly complaining about that. ]

[The man doesn't turn his head to look back, because it's more than evident that Prompto is practically right behind him, only a few feet back at the most. He can hear the other's footsteps, and this only proves as motivation to keep pace and quicken his own. The narrow alleyway is nothing but a straight shot into another crowded street, with even more people milling about than the one they had originated from. He thinks, maybe, if he can make it there, he can lose his pursuer properly. And it's just a yard or two away, if he keeps going, he can surely make it--

If Prompto believes that Ardyn has ditched him, he's unfortunately(?) wrong about that. He makes his appearance now, heralded first by the sound of familiar magic, like crystals reflecting and refracting, followed by a line of translucent, lingering red magic as Ardyn warps from the rooftop just above them, to appear directly in front of the merchant's path.

(He had decided to take a much shorter route, you see.)

His sword -- an ancient looking thing -- sticks in the ground, disturbingly only inches away from the merchant's foot. Ardyn rises to his full height, greeting the man with a sharp smile. Eyes wide, the man staggers back and loses his balance, practically landing on his ass, unable to parse what he's just seen.]

Now where are we off to?

[-Ardyn asks, not at all expecting an answer. Immediately, his gaze falls to Prompto.]

Now would be the time to subdue him. If you can.

[ If he had just a bit more foresight, he would have seen this coming. But as it is, he's too preoccupied with catching the thief to connect the threads between what he'd learned about Ardyn during their unfortunate encounter at the blood bank and his current disappearance. For all he knew (or cared), Ardyn hadn't deemed it worth his time to pursue the merchant. After all, this is Prompto's mission, and if they fail, it's on his head. It doesn't help that he's still new to this, either, and his singular focus on catching the thief in a dead-on chase has him skidding gracelessly to a stop when Ardyn makes his grand (re)appearance.

Right. Right. Warping. Of course. Should've seen that one coming. He straightens, blinking the surprise out of his eyes and reacting to Ardyn's words, if only out of stubbornness. ]

Wayyyy ahead of you. [ He's not, but he's fumbling for the handcuffs he's got in one of the pockets of this coat. Taking advantage of the thief's stunned paralysis, Prompto pulls his arms behind him and slaps the handcuffs on him. ]

Hey, a little warning next time would be nice! [ That's to Ardyn, said in a duly improbable tone and with a jerk of his chin. More than anything, he's reeling over the fact that Ardyn actually helped him get this job done. ]

[There's little fanfare in the way he dismisses his sword in the same way that it appeared, in a swath of red magic. There's hardly any need for it, for as far as Ardyn is concerned, Prompto is already privy to the truth. This is no big reveal, only a casual display of his powers, in a manner that he couldn't quite afford to do back on Eos.

The man has handcuffs slapped on him, though he's not beyond struggling and hissing out curses on them and their families the entire time. Ardyn treats him as background noise.]

A warning for what?

[Honestly, is it really necessary?]

It's - a rhetorical question!

[ It's not, really, and please don't ask him to explain rhetoric. It seems so obvious now, of course, that Ardyn had no need to chase the criminal on foot, but he didn't give Prompto any heads up on that. He almost got wrecked by some vases, man.

With a gentle tug, Prompto pulls the criminal back to his feet, paying no mind to the obscenities being lobbed at him. Yeah, yeah, a pox upon his household, he gets it. He finds this far less annoying than Ardyn's casual display of a power he's still coming to terms with the man even having in the first place. ]

Neve mind. Look, let's just - take him in!

[ Well, he got to say that bit still, at least. ]

[Rhetorical question. Whatever you say, Prompto. If anything, it certainly isn't worth the effort to argue the point. When he pulls the criminal up to his feet, who is definitely struggling to get away, yelling at the both of him, Ardyn reaches out and grasps at the merchant's shoulder, squeezing with a vice grip and strength that should and shouldn't be surprising.

If the man tries to crumple to his knees from the sudden pain, and definitely shutting him up, Ardyn only offers a:]

Quiet.

[And then returns to speaking to Prompto.]

Have you the strength to escort a screaming, wriggling man all the way back?

[ The thief isn't the only one perturbed into silence when Ardyn grabs onto the man's shoulder. It's a (much-needed, probably) reminder that Ardyn is someone Prompto should be afraid of, and no matter how their temporary goals may mutually align, he can't let his guard down and just lose him in a crowd like that. Sure, he'd used his warpstrike to stop the thief, but what if he'd tried something else with it? The crimes he's committed are infinitely, infinitely worse than the petty ones of this merchant, and the irony of it makes Prompto's stomach twist uncomfortably.

With a pallid expression: ]

I'll get him there.

[ And he'll do it on his own. ]

[If only Ardyn could manage to look stolid in return, perhaps it'd be more comforting to Prompto than his usual flippant look, a smile worn thin, as if he's doing nothing more than humoring the boy.

And so, a shrug as he releases the man's shoulder. Already he's dismissing this as a mission completed, and that his presence surely isn't needed any longer.]

I only wish to make certain. I know it may be jarring, being the one doing the capturing for a change.

[Why he gotta be a jerk about it tho.

And so Ardyn will just turn around, already beginning to saunter away. He waves a hand a bit dismissively as he goes.]

Until the next time we are unduly forced to work together, Prompto.

[ Oh, he just had to add that barb in, didn't he.

It earns Ardyn a scowl from Prompto, but he doesn't cut back in with a retort. He's never been quick on the verbal draw in situations like this, and saying nothing is probably in his best interest right now, anyway. So he gives the handcuffed thief a tug, and he shuffles his feet cooperatively.

Prompto shoots one more look over his shoulder at Ardyn before muttering: ]

Y-yeah. Until next time.

[ Because at this point, he has no doubt: there will be a next time. ]

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[ CLOSED ] ❝ what the hell's othello? ❞

RUNS IN HERE sorry for the slight delay!

hey you're just fashionably late

fashionably and ardyn don't go together

fair enough

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