[ OPEN ] ❝ and i don't want to talk about the world ❞

[punshots]

Who: Prompto (punshots) & YOU
What: October catchall, with open prompts for part 1 of the event!
When: Right the heck now!
Where: Around Olympia
Warning(s): sad boy...but none probably?!


I. MARKET DISTRICT.

[ He's there when the bomb goes off.

Not within range to be affected by it, but as a member of the royal guard, Prompto's very assignment is to patrol the market district. Facing down Victarion after he'd killed a man there the week previous had been harrowing enough, given him too much to think about, too many questions to ask about himself and what he was even doing in the guard in the first place. This latest attack is nothing short of a slap across the face.

Not that he lingers on how it makes him feel - he hardly dwells on it. As always, he's feelings are shuffled neatly aside, even when reaching out to his friends - his brothers - to make sure they're okay in the aftermath, only to find his messages rebounding. Noctis, Ingis, and Gladio - all three, in stasis once more.

He's not equipped to deal with this devastation right now, so he doesn't. He bottles it up, sets his jaw, and goes to work. This bomb went off on his watch, so...he has to find the people responsible, right? Of course he does. It's what...Noct would have done.

So he'll be doing the following:

A. Assisting with clean-up. The bomb has made a terrible mess of things, and these merchants in the market district are people he knows well by now. He knows their names, their families, their hopes and dreams, and something like this is nothing short of devastating for many of them. He can't replace what was infected, but he can at least help clear away what's no longer fit to sell.

He approaches with a hefty (just the adjective, not the brand, Hefty TM Reynolds Consumer Products, Inc.) trash bag that's already pretty swollen with infected goods, wearing gloves and a respirator provided by the Institute. For acting as a literal garbage man, he looks pretty chipper. ]

What's the word? [ He gestures to whatever goods they're sorting through. ] Think they'll pass biohazard infection?

[ Isn't this fun? He's having the time of his life. He's fine!

B. Investigating the area. The crime scene itself is the obvious place to start looking for clues to track down the persons responsible for the attack. Word spreads quickly through the guard that they're looking for individuals tattooed with an "M" on their wrists, so he'll address anyone still lingering nearby, looking over his shoulder and hiding his mouth with his hand - he's very...stealthy... ]

Hey...sorry to bug, but - did you happen to see anyone leaving this area around bomb o'clock today?

[ Yep. Still fine! ]

II. CHASING CRIMINALS.

[ Evidently, his investigating does turn up some promising leads, and Prompto is hot on the heels of one of those suspected associates, which he tipped off with his presence far too early and gave the woman a generous headstart. He's pursuing on foot, leaping between vehicles and over stalls - sometimes more gracefully than others - and if he weren't caught up in this, if this weren't so personal for him, he'd probably take a moment to appreciate the fact that he might kind of look like a badass right now.

But he doesn't allow himself that much, and he pursues the suspect to a tall, threadbare building that looks like it might collapse with a single gust of wind. The woman starts to scale it, and, okay, that looks pretty cool, too, but he's come this far. He's not about to lose her trail now.

So he grabs the closest person, frantic as he turns them to face him: ] How good are you at climbing?

[ And then adds, a moment later after glancing between the building and whoever he's grabbed: ] I'm super sorry about this!

III. TENDING THE ILL.

[ If you didn't know any better, you might think Prompto some sort of crazed, overly-enthusiastic delivery man the way he carts around the city on a bike with a basket filled with soup containers. Where did he get a bike? He probably let a kid hold his gun so he could borrow it for the day. It's not important.

Anyway, that's just what he's doing, zipping across Olympia and ferrying the ambrosia of all illnesses, chicken noodle soup, to his friends - and hell, even one-time acquaintances - in need. He'd been quick to contact just about everyone he knows as the news of the sickness spread, to make sure they were okay, and depending on their response, he tabulated them for future reference. That future reference is now, and he's ringing doorbells, dropping off soup, and by and large wearing a much more genuine smile than he has for days.

It's...hard not to, when he's helping people, even if they might not really need his help.

He can also be caught in between stops, catching a breather on lesser-traveled corners, pulling out his camera to flip back through his photos. He has to go back a considerable way before he reaches his pictures from Eos now, a fact which is so bittersweet it has his eyes glassy, but he grins reflexively at the smiling faces that greet him on the little screen.

With a quiet sigh, he murmurs: ] Hang in there, guys...

IV. WILDCARD.

[ Have something else in mind? Hit me up! I can also be reached on Plurk at retroscape for plotting! ]

Comments

[originallutece]

[She tips her head with an amused smile at his clarification. He might tip into irritating if he went on and on about her, but as it is, his obvious adoration is sweet.]

I've spoken to Miss Harley a few times before, though I've yet to ask the story behind her ears. Are they functional, do you know?

[punshots]

[ Oh, give him time, he'll prove himself irritating soon enough. ]

- You know? I never asked! But they do the whole - [ hang on, he's got to visually demonstrate this with a pointed finger on either side of his head, like ears perked up ] - pointy thing when she gets excited about something.




She also tinified me once.

[ ...He's still holding his fingers to the sides of his head. ]

[originallutece]

[Um.]

She did what to you?

[punshots]

Tinified!

[ He moves his hands now because this requires more visual aids, and Prompto holds his index fingers and thumbs about two inches apart. ]

Like so. We, uh - had to go inside a tree to get my camera. Long story.

[originallutece]

One you'll be telling me, I should hope. How on earth did she manage it?

[punshots]

Oh - she did her Spacey Thing!

[ Which. Might just make it sound like Prompto doesn't remember what it's called. ]

No, really - that's what she called it. She can make stuff fly with her mind. Aaand shrink people down to pocket-size. And make board games, apparently?

[ Look. He doesn't really understand her powers, but she can do a lot of cool things. ]

[originallutece]

[What the hell kind of range of powers is that . . .]

And she can do all these things naturally?

[Likely. Rosalind considers this for a few moments, then adds:]

I don't suppose you've any magic of your own you'd like to confess?

[punshots]

[ He turns his empty palms upward in slight shrug. ]

'Fraid not! I had a few tricks up my sleeve back home, but, uh -

[ He shifts his weight. He trusts her, but it's still not a tremendously easy topic for him to talk about, with the departure of his friends so fresh. With an awkward cough: ]

That was kinda dependent on my buddy's power and he...didn't have it here. [ So, no summoning weapons out of thin air or rescuing allies in battle for him! It's left him feeling even more vulnerable than usual, but at least he's had a few months to adjust to it. ]

[originallutece]

[She can hear the reluctance in his tone, but he's still speaking of it.]

Dependent in what way?

[punshots]

[ Oh, man. He is so the wrong person to ask to explain this, but he'll try his best. ]

So, uh...my buddy, Noct? He's got some...pretty special abilities. [ He's not going to come right out with the whole "Power of Kings" bit, but that shouldn't matter much. ] He can sort of...lend them out to people? So, for example, I used to be able to summon my weapon out of thin air. Yeah, it was as cool as it sounds. Now?

[ He pats the handgun holstered at his hip. ]

Not so much.

[originallutece]

[Gosh, Rosalind thinks, that sure sounds like Ardyn's trans-dimensional storage, what an odd coincidence.]

A pity. That sounds a great convenience-- could you store other things there? Or was it purely a one item thing for you?

[punshots]

Ha! Hardly.

[ He starts to visibly relax. Reminiscing like this isn't something he gets to do too much of these days, but it's so nice to do it. Even if it's bittersweet, to look back on the way things used to be, on the life he knew on Eos. ]

We kept all sort of things in there. Besides our weapons, we had all our camping gear, food, my pics...you know. The important stuff.

[ Ah, hammerspace...he hardly knew ye. ]

[originallutece]

Good god.

[That sounds like the most convenient thing . . . she has her own host of powers, but she'd give quite a bit to have that as well.]

Were the only weapons you had guns? Or could you keep sharp things in there as well-- swords, I mean, things like that?

[punshots]

Oh, yeah, we had all sort of stabby things.

[ Yes, "stabby things". That's a technical term. ]

Swords aren't really my kind of thing, but you should've seen some of the greatswords Gladio favored. They're as big as you are!

[ It's a Final Fantasy game. Someone has to wield a ludicrously huge sword. ]

[originallutece]

[As they are, short boy, they're in this tiny hell together. But hm, that is interesting.]

I don't suppose you know an Ardyn Izunia, do you? He has rather the same powers, as far as I can tell.

1/2

[punshots]

[ Whatever he might have intended to say otherwise, about big swords and related euphemisms, every other thought is chased out of his head when Rosalind drops that name.

His reaction is immediate and visceral, the color draining from his face as he gasps, looking at her with wild, wide eyes. ]

Y-you...you know him?

2/2

[punshots]

[ But of course, it shouldn't be that surprising that Ardyn has gotten to know people around here. Prompto would hardly expect him to just hole up wherever he was living and never talk to anyone, but the thought of Ardyn knowing his friends here...it's an unwelcome and worrying one, because he highly doubts the man has been transparent about his true colors. Even if this wasn't Eos, why would he come right out with "Hey, I'm an evil asshole, you should stay away from me"?

Rosalind casually throwing his name around is proof enough against that, anyway.

Gravely: ]

...Yeah. I know him, too.

[originallutece]

[Well, now. That's a reaction, isn't it? And yet though she hadn't expected it, it's not entirely a shock either. She doesn't know all of what Ardyn's done, but she's heard enough to know her friend (are they friends? her companion, perhaps; her immortal counterpart) is hardly a saint.]

. . dare I ask in what fashion?

[punshots]

[ Prompto's quick to cross his arms and glance away, saying as much with his hesitancy and discomfort as he could with words. He...hasn't really talked to anyone about Ardyn yet, save for Noct and Gladio when they'd first been here, but he can't just hold his tongue, either.

He hates to be the proverbial party pooper, and with literally anyone else, Prompto would advise her to get to know them first. But not with Ardyn. Never with Ardyn.

So he starts slowly, though even that care can't keep the quaver out of his voice. ]

You might dare, but you...might not like what you'll hear.

[originallutece]

I've seen and heard a fair amount of terrible things, Mr. Argentum. You shan't shock me.

[Not least of which because she knows some of them already.]

[punshots]

[ He gives her a long, considering look, then, like he's mulling it over. This...isn't how he pictured this meeting going, and part of him is still so tempted to just wave it off with a laugh and tell her not to worry about it. That would be so easy, and he wouldn't be bringing the atmosphere down like this. It's so tempting, but...

But while he hadn't gone to any lengths to decry Ardyn's villainy to the populace at large, Prompto can't stand idly by and let a friend put themselves into possible danger without knowing the potential consequences first. She has the right to know.

Still, it's with a dip in his shoulders and a sharp exhale that he speaks again, wariness in his eyes. ]

Hah - I don't even know where to start. Murderer, maybe? Or better yet - the guy who was trying to end the friggin' world? Hurt my friends, destroyed millions of lives, all for some cheap shot at revenge. Oh - aaaaand we can't forget how he pushed me off a train, used me as bait to lure my friends into a trap, and is basically the worst in every way possible.

[ Ardyn is, in no small part, to thank for pretty much every bad thing that has ever happened in Prompto's life. Right from the very start. ]

[originallutece]

[That's a fairly horrific list, but her expression doesn't change. She sucks at her cigarette, her blue eyes calm, and once it's clear he's finished, she asks:]

What was his quarrel with you and your friends?

[punshots]

[ How is she not freaking out right now? Did he not make Ardyn's crimes sound serious enough? He hadn't parsed his words to make them any less harsh. Was she unconvinced?

He's talking so openly right now about things he's told so few people since coming here, and it nearly makes him dizzy with how unprepared he is to do this. This is a job better suited for someone like Aranea, but he's the one here - and he's the one who had been along for the whole journey. He'd witnessed so many of Ardyn's crimes first hand, been affected by them in ways that had shaped his very existence.

Noct isn't here. It has to be him. ]

If you ask him, he'll say revenge. Revenge against my buddy for something that happened - I don't know, ages ago. Waaaay before our time. Some kind of ancient feud he can't get over and he was going to take the rest of the world down with him before the Storm came. What...what has he told you?

[ She doesn't - she wouldn't...no. Ros has a good head on her shoulders. She had to see how obviously in the wrong Ardyn had been, and if she doesn't, it's only because Prompto hasn't explained it well enough. But he will continue to try, no matter how long it takes. ]

[originallutece]

[They made me out to be unworthy of my title. Made the public believe that I was something I wasn't. And the gods, they deemed me as equally undeserving, tainted by the very thing that I tried to save others from.

Yes, he'd told her that story, albeit in hints and pieces, leaving her to puzzle it all together. He'd told her how he'd been a healer once upon a time, adored and beloved; how he'd become something different, and thus something reviled. How he'd betrayed his world out of spite, and oh, she'd known all about that kind of anger, that kind of bitterness, hadn't she . . .?

She'd been ready to let a world burn, just because it had hurt her from the start.

It's not that she thinks he's some innocent. Far from it. But Rosalind's moral conscience has never been all that developed; it's her counterpart who has the bleeding heart, not her.]

A tale of Gods and kings rejecting him.

[She doesn't look sympathetic to it. She doesn't look much of anything, really.]

[punshots]

[ He'll take the lack of sympathy on her features as a comfort, honestly, even if she doesn't express anything particularly strong in the opposite direction, either. He was still fuzzy on many of the details of Ardyn's story, considering he'd told Prompto about many of these things cryptically while casually slicing his freakin' arm open, but he'd gotten the gist of it. It hadn't changed Prompto's opinion of him.

Informed it a bit further, but not changed it. ]

I'm not saying that what might've happened to him was right. But that doesn't make what he's doing right, either. He's done some...really messed up shit in the name of his revenge.

[ His posture slackens just a bit, and he looks up at her again. However Rosalind chooses to view Ardyn is ultimately her decision. Prompto just wants her to be...informed. And safe. ]

Look, just...be careful around him, okay? Even if you think you're on his good side, you're not.

[ The only person on Ardyn's good side is Ardyn himself. ]