nysalogs | [CLOSED] Now I know I got to play my hand. What the winner don't know, a gambler understands.

Uh...huh.

[ Whatever you say, man. He's still suspicious as hell, but he's the sucker who's listening instead of bailing on this conversation like he probably should. ]

Yeah, uh...my girlfriend works here. What about it?

...You have a girlfriend? [Wow. Love finds everyone, apparently- even sad losers who like photography.

No. Mustn't get bogged down in that. This is perfect!] Y'know what, never mind. Assuming you mean an actual girlfriend and not a fake girlfriend and you are totally welcome to just peruse the Institute at your leisure, maybe you wouldn't mind doing me a teeny, tiny favor.

[He holds his fingers a millimeter apart.] Since you owe me big, dude.

[ Look buddy, he's just as surprised as you are. Which is why he doesn't look the least bit offended by the incredulous way Rocket asks that question. His expression does crinkle a bit, however, at Rocket's friendly reminder that Prompto owes him a favor. ]

I-I sure do! What...exactly is that teeny, tiny favor? Please says it's legal.

[ PLEASE...he actually makes a living wage now, but he'd rather not have to use it to repay Rocket's debts to society again. ]

It's legal! It's legal- I swear. [Maybe he's saying that a little too enthusiastically for it to be convincing... but it's probably legal.] I just need a little bit of assistance is all, and it requires someone who knows their way around the Institute... and has a camera. And look at that, you fit both those qualifications!

[WOULD THIS ADORABLE FURRY FACE LIE TO YOU... A SECOND TIME...]

[ Because he's the ultimate sucker, Prompto does believe him when he reassures him this time. He doesn't know his way around the institute super well, but if there's something Rocket's looking for in there, if nothing else, he could ask Alisaie where to find it, so... ]

Okay, okay, I'm in. What are you looking for, anyway?

[ And why can't he just go look himself? ]

A couple of things.

[He scratches his neck awkwardly.] If, say, something were to happen and I'd, uh... Need a quick exit, it'd be beneficial to know where the best routes are. You followin' me?

[That doesn't make it sound "not illegal" at all.]

[ SURE DOESN'T. ]

Uh - sure. But - quick question. [ Rocket already knows what's coming, but Prompto asks it anyway. ]

Why would you need a quick exit?

'Cause I might need one someday. Don't make a thing of it.

[He looks away, shifty-eyed and uncomfortable. He's making it sound worse than it is, all because he doesn't want to give the real reason.]

[ A short, bracing sigh. Rocket's body language makes it plain it enough that he doesn't want to talk about it, and while most might insist on an explanation at that point, Prompto doesn't. He's never been one to pry. Not when he knows well enough that people have good reasons for keeping their secrets. ]

Look, just - promise me you aren't going to steal anything out of there, okay? I don't need you getting Alisaie in trouble.

[ Or him, but, eh, he's not worried about himself. ]

Sanzo's already promised me anything I want outta there. I don't need to steal.

[So that's reassurring anyway. He glances around one more time and then asks, in a slightly pained whisper:] There's, uh, one more thing.

[Uuuugh. This is the part he was going to have to ask someone else to do anyway, but the fact that it's Prompto means he at least gets some pictures out of his humiliation. He retreats into the bush he was hiding behind and drags out a backpack that's just big enough for a three foot raccoonoid to hide inside.] I kiiinda can't be seen in there... For reasons.

[ How reassuring!

Prompto follows Rocket's movements with his eyes, a look of "how much worse is this going to get" slowly dawning on his features as Rocket pulls out that backpack. ]

W-wait - hold on. Time out! [ He makes a T with his hands, even. ] You didn't mention I'd be sneaking you in there, too!

[ What happened to recon? He's great at recon! Less great at it if he's going to have a mouthy raccoon on his back the whole time. ]

Did you already get caught in there, or what?

[ He doesn't need exact reasons, he just. Wants a better understand of how far up the creek he's going since he agreed to this. ]

No! I just don't want anyone to see me and-

[He makes a frustrated hrrgh noise, miming stranging with his tiny hands.] Somebody needs to point you towards what you're looking for, all right? Do you think I want to be stuffed in a bag? This is important to me, and you owe me.

[Maybe his voice is taking on a little bit of desperation now.]

[ Prompto's hands go up, palms out, because he can hear that note in Rocket's voice. Whatever this is about is...important to him, isn't it?

So, with no further protest, he takes a hold of the backpack and unzips it. ]

C'mon. I got your back.

[ And let's be honest - he'd be doing this even if he didn't owe Rocket. He's his own worst enemy sometimes.

Okay - a lot of the time. ]

Rocket relaxes, clearly relieved that this isn't going to be an issue.] Great. Glad we understand each other.

[A simple thank you would suffice, Rocket. He climbs up into the bag and gets settled, zipping it back up himself until there's a tiny little window he can peer out of.] All right. Let's get this done.

[ Once Rocket's settled, Prompto hoists the backpack onto his shoulders and starts up the steps of the Institute. This is...probably going to end badly, but that's more or less par for the course for him, so he'll roll with it. ]

Yeah. What're friends for, right?

[ There's no sarcastic bite to his words - they're meant, even if Prompto does owe Rocket a favor and this is partially born out of that. But if you're going to ferry a raccoonoid secretly into a research facility, you have to be at least somewhat bros, right? ]

[Ugh the f-word. Rocket goes quiet for a moment, and then finally sighs.] Yeah, yeah. I guess. Let's just get this over with. This place gives me the creeps.

[As evidenced by the fact that he tenses up so much that Prompto can feel it through the bag once they cross the threshold. Rocket's mostly quiet except to direct Prompto towards places he should photograph or to tell him to hide when someone might spot them. The uneasiness is hard to ignore, but he doesn't seem to be willing to talk about it.]

[ Hey, an "I guess" is more than he could've asked for, so he'll take it.

Once they're inside, Prompto follows Rocket's instructions easily - as it turns out, he's an exceptional follower. There's a few tense moments where he doesn't hide as gracefully as he maybe should, but no one catches him, thankfully.

As they creep through the halls of the Institute, it's impossible not to notice Rocket's tenseness. He...really doesn't like this place, does he? And it's hard not to wonder. Had he had a bad run-in with Ev-what's-his-bucket? Prompto had never seen or spoken to the man himself, but Alisaie hadn't said anything negative about him. It's - puzzling, but he won't ask.

At least, not while they're inside.

Once they're back on the steps out front, Prompto breathes a tremendous sigh of relief as he tugs the backpack off his shoulders and unzips it. ]

Man, that was in-tense! Did I come through for you, or did I came through for you?

[Rocket clambers out and shakes himself all over like a wet dog... for about a hot second until he realizes what he's doing, straightens, and begins brushing himself off normally, swiping his hands over the fur on his arms to settle them. Static electricity can be hell on your fur coat.]

Yeah, you came through, all right. And I appreciate it. That Evras bastard ain't gonna know who he's screwing with.

[He's so delighted at the prospect and even more delighted that they made it out unmolested that he doesn't quite realize he's said too much.]

[ Yeah, okay, he'll just pretend like he didn't notice the dog-shaking. Something tells him Rocket would be none too appreciative of that. ]

...Evras? [ The inquisitive note in his voice is a little wary. Should he even be asking this?

Does he want to know? ]

Do you...have something against that guy?

[Rocket freezes, ears flattening against his head in a cringe.] Crap.

[He doesn't turn to face Prompto, because he's a terrible liar and if he looks at him, he'll see the anxiety in his eyes... Not that having his back to him helps any. He's all hunched shoulders and tension right now.]

I just... Don't like his type. I got bad experiences with people like him.

[ So...that wasn't something that was meant for him to hear. It prickles at his nerves, because for as much as he wanted to believe otherwise, it sounds like Rocket might be planning to do something quite illegal, if it involves messing with someone like Evras.

There's a long, thoughtful pause before he speaks up, weighing whether he should even say something at all. Prompto can't see Rocket's face, but he can see his posture, and hear his voice, and he's well versed in reading both.

People like him... ]

You mean, mad scientist types?

[ Now it's not just Rocket that's sounding tense and uncomfortable. ]

[Rocket flinches so hard that his swishing tail actually bristles to become more bottlebrush like. He doesn't miss the tension in Prompto's voice, but he doesn't necessarily associate it to a mutual understanding. After all, Prompto looks human and doesn't seem to be a freak- it's easy for him with his very obvious augmentations to assume that anything anyone else feels when faced with the idea of mad science is just sympathy or disdain.]

Oh he gave you that impression too? [His voice is laced with sarcasm.] I don't look like this 'cause I thought it'd be cool, kid.

[ I don't look like this 'cause I thought it'd be cool, kid.

Prompto's eyes widen as that clicks into place - the real meaning behind those words. He'd assumed Rocket was just from a world where walking, talking raccoons was the norm. From the breadth of worlds this place seems to have pulled from, it was hardly a stretch. He hadn't stopped to consider that maybe Rocket wasn't born this way, but it makes sense. So much sense. The way he'd behaved the entire time they were institute, his reasons for going in there, why he might want to exact some kind of payback.

This is the part where Rocket might expect him to brush it off. To tell him that whatever happened to him, Evras wasn't responsible for that. To warn him against doing anything reckless.

Instead, he fiddles nervously with a band on his right wrist, glancing anxiously at the Institute and then back to Rocket. ]

- Right. You think he's...[ He swallows. ] Uh. Doing that sort of thing here?

Oh I know he is. Maybe not like this. [He gestures to himself.] But at least something like it. He told me.

[He bristles further.] I contacted him for a job to see if I could read 'em a little bit without givin' away my identity, and asked him how he felt about animal experimentation. He said it was one of his specialties.

[ One of his specialties. No wonder Rocket doesn't like the guy. And maybe it's not human experimentation, but...it's not that far off, is it? And if animal experimentation led to creatures like Rocket, who were sentient individuals in their own right, then it's just as bad as humans would be. And that -

That hits a little too close to home for comfort. ]

That's...terrible. [ And then a beat, before he adds, glancing away: ] If you, uh...decide to give him hell...well, uh, this isn't my district, anyway.

[ Rocket doesn't have to worry about Prompto ratting him out. ]

[CLOSED] Now I know I got to play my hand. What the winner don't know, a gambler understands.

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