( OPEN )

[competing]

Who: lance (competing) & anyone!
What: catch-all for the first part of the october event
When: oct 1 - 15
Where: around
Warning(s): none at the moment! will update if necessary

market district | day of attack

[ he was along the outskirts of the market district when the explosion occurs, sidelined in his usual patrol by an overenthusiastic child regaling lance with his exploits during playtime of the previous day. one second laughing to the young child's uncanny imitation of his nanny, and the next lurching forward reflexively, protectively, when suddenly the ground shuddered and screams erupted in the air. tehro is already crying from his confusion, rushing out of lance's hold to crash into his mother's, who stood terrified nearby, eyes turned towards the sky. lance's gaze soon follows, feeling dread pool at the sight of a thick cloud of an unnatural purple waft into the air. he takes a second to swallow down his fear, before shouting for everyone around him to vacate the premises as quickly and calmly as they can. (spoilers: they only manage to do one of these things.)

he runs the opposite way, pace slowed by the throng of people eager to escape. by the time he gets to the scene, all he sees is chaos. ( 1 ) he rushes towards the nearest person on the ground, reaching out to help them back onto their feet. ]

Hey — I got you, I got you, it's alright—

[ ( 2 ) if you are one of the able-bodied, he might try to flag you down with a shout. ]

Over here! [ he's in the process of trying to lift a wooden stall that had overturned on its vendor. given his noodle body, he could definitely use some help... ]

around | days after

[ the next couple of days are kind of a blur. ridden with guilt, burdened by his dwindling confidence, lance winds up throwing himself into doing as much as he can for the people who lost the most that day. at any time during the day, you can find him doing any number of the following:

( 3 ) pushing around a wooden street cart, its sign and his wares changing from day to day. one day he could be selling produce from a local farmer, another day he could be selling questionable, ah, toys from another local business person. some days he might be accompanied by an npc (the vendor's bored child along for the ride, their grandparent out to make sure lance is marketing right, etc), but every single time he'll be out there, running that motormouth of his dry, trying to get everybody, anybody to stop and consider a purchase.

( 4 ) getting chewed out by a local, far too upset to realize he has long since stopped saying anything, and instead just stands there with his head lowered, nodding mutely to their angry accusations. this is all your fault, where were you, you should have been there, you think you can try to make up for it now, etc... he stands and listens to it all without protest. ]

shooting range/training yard | days after

[ he's stopped wearing the royal guard insignia. he's still dressed in all-black, though, but only really because it had wound up encompassing most of his attire anyway, but he hasn't actually been back near the barracks or the yard in some time. hasn't felt right, in all honesty.

but today he wanders close to the training yard, which bustles now with activity. everyone working double-time to try and find the culprits, probably, doing just about everything lance isn't — can't — which explains why he keeps his head low, avoiding any eyes.

he's got his rifle in his hands, but he doesn't seem intent on training with it. rather, it looks like he's trying to subtly turn it back in... ]

cyoa/notes

( if none of these prompts work for you, please feel free to work something else out with me! you can reach me at ellipses, PM this journal, or my plotting comment!

also, please let me know if you'd like to know about the RUMOR that lance overhears, and i can work it into our thread somehow! c: )

Comments

wait why does that offend you!

[competing]

[ accept it... ]

...I guess that's true.

[ he still looks somewhat hesitant, reluctant, but what she says is true: it's something, and something will always be better than nothing. even if this one is a bit more personal than he would have liked it to be.

he shifts a little uncomfortably in his seat. ]

I overheard someone say the commander of the Royal Guard is actually Wyver...

it doesnt i just have to feign at least some dignity okay

[adelphoi]

[ no she's not ready to.. she can't even say 'boyfriend' without falling apart okay

she pops a mouthful of sorbet into her mouth while she listens, though, and the discomfort in both his voice and body language are clear. all she really knows of the royal guard is what she's learned through prompto, but she can understand how, at a time like this, the commander's background might be.. sensitive. there are implications to take into consideration, given the nature and potential origin of the attack.

tilting her head thoughtfully, she taps the spoonstick against her chin, her lidded gaze caught on him carefully. ]

Would it bother you if it were true?

ah okay carry on

[competing]

[ when he glances up at her question, he is caught off-guard by her scrutiny. it takes him a moment to recover, but it helps that his answer comes easily enough. ]

No.

[ he shrugs his shoulders. ] If she is, if she isn't... it doesn't matter.

[ keith is galra. and it hadn't mattered then, either. ]

It's just worrying that people would think it does. If they're worried about something like that, then they aren't going to want to trust her, which means they aren't going to want to trust the Guard, which means it'll be that much harder to help them when the time comes that we have to again.

[ honestly what a mess... ]

yes..... ahem

[adelphoi]

[ his answer seems to satisfy her, and alisaie offers a quick, shallow nod before she's digging back into her sorbet. ]

People are wont to make things more difficult for themselves.

[ there's a clear and weary bitterness in her voice, some long-suffering low key aggravation that suggests that she's dealt with this sort of obstacle before. far too many times, if she's honest; alisaie doesn't have much patience for it at all, that much is obvious. ]

I fear that that may all too likely be the case, should it turn out to be true, much as I'd regret to see your workload made heavier still. Prejudices are not easily overcome.

😌

[competing]

[ he finds himself nodding along, though it is easy for the bitterness in her tone to transfer to him, making the line of his frown a little sharper. ]

With any luck, they'll look at what she's done and not what she is. [ if they were all made to answer to things they couldn't control, where would any of them be?

but he sighs, moving to sit a little straighter in his seat. he nods towards the cup in her hands. ]

How's the sorbet? Helping at all?

[ genuine curiosity of course, partly for her well-being, and partly for a more personal reason. he's got a sick friend at home too, after all; he'd more than happily take some home if a cold treat would make things any easier for her. ]

[adelphoi]

[ there's no reason to argue further, even if the idea still sits badly in her stomach. racism and xenophobia were all too rampant in eorzea, and she has neither the optimism nor faith in the masses required to hold such a hope in her heart. people as individuals are kind and good, she thinks, but as a whole they are all too easily swayed by the public mindset, driven by fear and uncertainty of what they do not know.

but far be it for her to dampen his hopefulness; mayhaps he is right. miracles do happen. ]

It's quite good.

[ she loves dessert foods tho.. ]

Just sweet enough.

[competing]

[ he smiles in relief, though it's tough to say if it's truly over the dessert itself, or just the fact that she's willing to let the topic shift. ]

I have a friend back home who isn't feeling too well either, [ he explains, in an obvious understatement. ] I'm thinking she might appreciate a cup or two.

[adelphoi]

I'm sorry to hear that.

[ it can be.. frightening, to say the least, being infected by a mystery virus. knowing someone infected. that the panic hasn't been more widespread is honestly a miracle. ]

So no doubt she would appreciate such a kind offer.

[competing]

[ he smiles appreciatively, but there isn't much else he can do with her sympathy. empathy, really. they've all gotta be strong in their own way; luckily, allura happens to be one of the strongest people he knows. he knows she'll pull through... even if that doesn't exactly make watching her suffer any easier. ]

Maybe, [ he says around a short laugh. ] She can be a little grumpy sometimes... [ most times. usually only when it involves him. heh. ]

[adelphoi]

[ a light chuckle bubbles in her throat and alisaie smiles around her stick-spoon, then taps it thoughtfully against the lip of her sorbet cup. she's going through it fast, it's nearly empty already. ]

Well best of luck, in that case. Still, I am sure she would not turn it down.

[ and, after a beat. ]

Mayhap you should enjoy one yourself, as well.

[competing]

[ it's easy to laugh after she does. ]

If I try to have dessert with her, then she definitely will be grumpy.

[ ahh, allura... what a heartbreaker. still, he gives alisaie a grateful smile. as if he'd been the one needing comforting here. ]

I should get going, in any case... [ she probably needs some more rest, and he's got half a cart left of oddities to sell. he moves to stand, but his eyes linger on her half-finished sorbet cup. ]

Hey... come meet me on the balcony for a second?

[ except he's actually going to be heading towards the door... ]

[adelphoi]

[ alisaie's eyes follow him when he stands, and her brows furrow into a thoughtful crease. ]

Of course, but..

[ but he's already on the move - toward the front door?? just take a moment to imagine the question marks over her head before she's casting a glance toward the balcony, then back to the door again, but by then he's gone.

okay, she'll bite. back on her feet, alisaie shrugs her blanket back up onto her shoulders and slips back out onto the balcony again, peo hot on her heels. ]

[competing]

[ trust in the goof, alisaie... trust.

in any case, when she emerges onto the balcony, she'll find lance back where he began, standing dutifully by the cart once more, glancing up and ready for her. ]

Catch! [ he says, giving her a moment's worth of preparation, before he's suddenly tossing something small and cold and — sorbet-like — up towards her hands. ]

For being such great company. [ he grins at her, putting a finger to his lips, punctuated with a wink. then he's lifting that hand towards his forehead in a salute. ]

It was nice meeting you, Alisaie! Tell Prompto I say hi!

[ and then he'll be off, wandering back down the streets and calling out for his wares. ]

[adelphoi]

[ lance what a sweetie!! she can see why he and prompto get along tbh..

at first she looks surprised and unsure, she's not always great at accepting gifts, even little ones like this, but rather than complain she instead smiles, warm and grateful, then lifts her free hand to wave. ]

I shall. Take care, Lance!