[ OPEN ] ❝ you are a stranger here, why have you come ❞

[punshots]

Who: Prompto (punshots) + YOU
What: Questing and helping deserters.
When: January!
Where: Wyver and nearby quest locations
Warning(s): N/A for now!


I. TOMB RAIDER (QUEST: DISTURBING THE DEAD).

[ Don't worry. He's played video games.

...And, you know, has a fair amount of experience spelunking in real life, too, but that somehow seems secondary to everything he's learned about tomb-raiding from video games. Is he bound to booby right into some booby traps? Undoubtedly. But that's why he brought someone along with him! To be a second pair of eyes when he gets a bit too Prompto about things.

At the unassuming entrance to the crypt - unassuming if you use a freakin' ton of human skulls in your decorating, anyway - Prompto turns to his companion, clicking on the flashlight clipped to his vest. He also has a whip, despite not knowing how to really use it, because of course he does. ]

Remember - idols? Don't touch 'em, especially if they're on pedestals. If you see any giant boulders, run. Just - run. Oh - and if you see anything diamond-shaped, for the love of the Six, definitely - I repeat, definitely do not step on it.

[ Boy, he sure sounds like an expert, doesn't he? ]

...After you!

[ Or not. ]

II. THE CRYSTAL SHARDS (QUEST: PREACHING IN A MATERIAL WORLD).

[ Whatever man, this guy likes his shiny pieces of rock, he's not one to judge. Compared to most of the other jobs, this one seems relatively safe and, uh, legal, which makes it an immediate draw for him. He's a decent enough swimmer, too, so it should be a piece of cake!

Unfortunately, he's woefully uneducated about the enchanted pools the crystal drops are found in, so he doesn't give it a second thought as he strips down to his underwear and dives deep down into one of the many lagoons outside of Wyver to scoop up the coveted gems.

If he's down there a little longer than should be normal for a human, don't worry - that's normal (thanks, Volkkran Pact). However, that only gives more time for the enchanted waters to really get to him, and...boy, are they getting to him.

When Prompto resurfaces to dump an armful of crystal shards onto the ground, he pushes his mop of wet hair out of his eyes - and that's when he at last notices he is not alone. ]

How long've you been here?

[ Rather pointedly, nowhere near his usual warm disposition. Huh, weird. ]

III. TOUGH TO BEAR (LATER JANUARY).

[ With citizens on every corner calling for a move against Olympia, the city has gotten juuuuust a bit much to handle lately, and when he catches wind about the deserters from some gossipy guards, Prompto decides it's time to take a little day-trip outside Wyver proper to see what it's like for those neutrally aligned himself. Fuck the popo, those people are in need and if he can do something to help, he's going to.

And he's gonna get there on a bear, because he can.

He spends a good chunk of change cleaning out some vendors in the market one morning before loading up his mount's saddlebags with food and medicinal herbs before traveling to some of the neutral camps east of the city. He may have asked a close friend to come along with him, or maybe he bumps into a fellow refugee once there. Either way, he complains as he dismounts: ]

Man, that was unbearably boring! Nothin' but trees, trees, 'n' more trees...

[ Yes, even on a bear, traveling is still dull. Then, with a nod: ]

You gonna give me a hand with this?

[ Or, perhaps, you encounter him later on in the evening, after he's stayed too long helping the refugees and his mount is now beginning to become unruly. The bear starts to snarl discontentedly while Prompto pats its neck in a futile effort to calm it. ]

Th-there, there, Fuzzby! Just a bit - whoa -

[ Watch as he attempts to hold onto his saddle while the bear tries to buck him. Should be quite the spectacle. Or help him, perhaps, if you are so inclined. ]

IV. WILDCARD.

[ Have something else you'd like to do with Prompto this month? Hit me up at retroscape! I'm happy to set up closed starters for more particular plans as well! ]

Comments

crystal shards 8)

[adelphoi]

[ it's been moons since they formed their pact, but still they learn more about it every day, find new ways in which they have been connected. it's mostly subtle little things, but it's been entertaining to find what they have shared.

today, it seems, is another experiment. alisaie is always happy to swim, and she has traversed these pools before the last time there had been a call to gather these crystals. she'd been ready to dive right in when prompto had stopped her, and insisted on trying himself, to test whether or not he had inherited the blessing of the kojin.
fair enough.

so she waits, stripped down to her smallclothes and seated comfortably on a warm stone at the side of the lagoon. the water is clear enough that she can see him moving down there, so she's not worried about him drowning - it seems he has inherited it, how convenient! when he bursts from the surface though, she turns to watch him unload an armful of crystals. nice haul.

but hey, who do you think you're talking to, bub?? ]

What? The entire time, you fool, you know that.

[punshots]

[ Still halfway-submerged in the water, he gives her a long, distant stare, like there's something he can't quite parse in what Alisaie has said. She's been there the entire time? That doesn't seem right. Hadn't he come alone? Had she followed him?

This isn't good.

Pulling himself quickly out of the water, Prompto crouches down at her side, meets her eyes directly, and whispers: ]

Did anyone see you?

[ THIS ISN'T SOME WEIRD ATTEMPT TO ROLEPLAY, HONEST ]

[adelphoi]

[ she... wait, what? is this some weird attempt to roleplay? alisaie looks entirely flummoxed. ]

Err.. possibly? I have no idea, I wasn't looking. Why would I?

[ she glances over her shoulder briefly, but the woods around them are comfortably quiet and unremarkable. ]

[punshots]

[ Were it something like that, Alisaie would notice the telltale grin at the corner of his eyes, the playful turn of his mouth even when he was playing a "serious" character. But such signs are conspicuously absent. In fact, Prompto looks rather...spooked, goosebumps rising on his arms. ]

I-I dunno. I just...can't shake the feeling someone - or something - is watching us.

[ He scans the trees opposite the lagoon, the far edge of the water, even the sky - but...no. Nothing.

So...what is it? ]

[adelphoi]

[ uh..

it's a little chilly for swimming, but other than that, it is a perfectly lovely day. they met no resistance, or nasty beasties on the way here, and the atmosphere is calm and comfortable, absolutely no different than it had been when they arrived. what is he even going on about?? ]

You.. what?

[ she is SQUINTING!!.. into his face, a deep crease in her brow. what the heck, prompto.. ]

Nothing is watching us, we're fine.

raidin' tombs

[braidedwonder]

[ Duo's unsure what the whole whip thing's about from the get go, but then again, who the hell is he to tell Prompto what to bring along? He's pretty content with the usual trove of hidden weapons he keeps on his person, hands casually tucked in to his pants pockets as they move a little further in to the dark space, his trusty pen light long since removed from it's hiding place in the base of that thick braid and placed behind his ear.

The skulls are a nice touch - though not a bother. After seeing so much gore and the typical scourge of war Duo's not too plussed about a couple of old, clean human skulls. Occasionally he stops to look at one in particular, pushing his bangs out of his eyes so he can maintain a better line of vision in the dim light.

He has no problem taking the lead, casual as ever in his observations from behind, but on closer inspection blue eyes flicker over every surface quicker than is maybe normal for most people, checking for traps and anything that looks even remotely suspicious. ]

First of all, I'm from space, man, I don't even know what those references are.

Second of all, who the hell are the Six?

[punshots]

[ It's for the best for both of them that Duo takes the lead, and Prompto is quietly relieved that he isn't going to have to talk the other boy into it. This is hardly his first rodeo into a hole in the wall full of traps and proooooobably monsters and daemons out for blood, but all those times, Prompto took his lead from Noctis. He feels much more suited to this role as he trails a pace or two behind his friend. ]

We gotta get you some movies, man. [ A beat. ] Well, first - we gotta get you a TV, and then some movies. After your sky high space robot, natch.

[ He knows Duo's priorities!!

There's the sound of something skittering up ahead. Mice, probably, but a chill runs down his spine nonetheless. ]

The Six're...kind of the gods of my home world. Of Eos. Guess they're not around anymore, buuuuuut still gotta swear by someone, y'know?

[braidedwonder]

I mean, I'm not opposed when we have a chance.. [ Might as well learn some things, right? Wouldn't hurt him any. He'd seen a few old movies when he'd been on L2, and seen a few on Earth but that was mostly with Quatre which meant.. well, who knows. Probably movies Duo wouldn't choose on his own, but endured for the sake of keeping his friend happy. He's a good person, sometimes.

But only sometimes.

Duo freezes for a moment at the sound of the skittering ahead, listening closely before continuing on. Mice weren't a problem. It was bigger things that would send him running for cover. ]

Oh, good. So you're not gonna start bible quoting me.. [ There's a little laugh at that, his own annoyance at all things religious honestly kind of his own problem. This coming from a kid who still wears a cross, but that's more sentimental than any actual religious affiliations. Still, he can't help but ask - ]

What do you mean, though, when you say they're 'not around anymore'?

[punshots]

[ Eugh, he can guess what that skittering noise means and he is not enthused about it. Creepy old creeps are kinda cool on principle, but the denizens that call them home? Not so much...

Good thing he has the conversation to distract him from thinking too much about mice - or worse - running amok down here. What's a bible, anyway? ]

Well, I mean...they got destroyed along with the storm, probably. At least...I haven't seen anything vaguely Astral-like in stasis...can't imagine a pod big enough to hold someone like the Archaean, anyway.

[ A light shrug. ]

Maybe they survived somehow, but...

[ It didn't seem likely, if their worlds really were gone. ]

II.

[meinwaifu]

Oh, long enough.

[What does that even mean, why is he even here?? Who knows. But here stands Mephisto, hand on his chin as he looks out over the pools. And he's definitely not dressed for a diving expedition, either.]

But you know, I think I'm starting to get deja vu here! Must you always be trying to drown yourself when we meet?

[punshots]

[ Even in his addled state, it's a question that flits into Prompto's mind. Why do they keep meeting like this?

But - whatever, it doesn't matter. Mephisto has clearly followed him here, and whatever good will he earned during their last meeting is forgotten in favor of Prompto's clinging paranoia. What does he...want from him? ]

Are you here to take my haul? Get your own crystals, man.

[ He holds on tightly to his armload of crystal drops. The preciouses... ]

[meinwaifu]

Do I look like some common thief to you?

[...d-don't answer that, he always look suspicious in some way or another and he knows it.]

I happen to be here conducting research! But I can't say I expected to find someone swimming around out here.

[punshots]

[ No, he looks more like some uncommon thief, really, but in Prompto's current state of mind, he doesn't say as much. He doesn't leave the water, either, still glaring up at Mephisto. ]

What kind of research?

[ Said not in a way that sounds genuinely curious, but more suspicious. ]

iii.

[centurian]

[ Garrus, is definitely jumping at the opportunity to help out the so-called "deserters" himself. all the refugees make him think of the Citadel, and those desperately trying to avoid a war that a good chunk of the galaxy was content to try and ignore, since it wasn't their planets being destroyed.

so, he has a little more sympathy for the deserters than most. and while he doesn't have all that much, he's still trying to do his best. another refugee, even one he hasn't really seen before, is a welcome sight. ]

You can't forget the rocks.

[ unfortunately, the puns, and the strange choices in mount, are lost on him. he doesn't know what a bear is, and just assumes that it's perfectly normal. ]

Are you here to help too?

[punshots]

[ Prompto spares a moment to marvel at his fellow refugee. He's seen a lot of interesting figures since coming to this world, but none quite like this guy. But even tactless as he can sometimes be, he knows it's rude to stare, so he shakes off his slack-jawed look and nods quickly, offering a grin. ]

That's the idea, anyway. [ How much help he ends up proving to be...well, that remains to be seen. ]

If you've got a sec, wanna give me a hand with these?

[ He's pulling the loaded saddle bags off the bear now. He could distribute the food on his own, but if he has help, it'll go twice as fast. ]

[centurian]

[ hey look, he's used to it. more than used to it at this point. he appreciates that the guy hasn't asked him any super nosy questions just yet.

but he's prepared for it. oh he's so prepared for it. ]

Yeah, of course!

[ he's also super eager to help out here. ]

I'm going to take a wild guess and say you're also here to help these "deserters"?

[ he's not 100% sure he likes the term. sure, if they were turians, they'd definitely count as that but... when you actually have a civilian population, wasn't there something different there? ]

[punshots]

[ There definitely should be something different, but "deserters" is the only name Prompto has heard to describe them as well. More like...people-who-are-reasonable-and-stick-to-their-guns, but that's a little unwieldy. ]

Sure am! [ And he starts handing some of the bags of food to Garrus. There's a mix of fruits, veggies, and grain - he tried to cover as many basics as he could, even if it's nothing fancy. ]

It was gettin' a little noisy in the city, anyway. [ And by "noisy", he means he was getting tired of passing by rallies on every street corner. This is...basically the opposite of that. ]

III

[originallutece]

[She most certainly isn't going to be helping him with the refugees. Sorry, buddy, but that's just not in her nature, and honestly, she's not out here to help them. She just wants to explore those ruins, but it takes an awful long time to get there.

So here she is, armed with a rucksack and little else, raising her eyebrows as she watches the bear bucking and snarling.]

I'd get off if I were you.

[#helpful]

[punshots]

[ Ah, yes, how very helpful...but Prompto is always glad to see a friend, so he turns a half-cheeky, half-genuine grin on Ros as his mount continues to jostle him mercilessly. ]

And walk the whole way back? Tch - no, thanks!

[originallutece]

I don't think you're going to have a choice in a few minutes, my lad.

[But she's always ready to watch a show, provided it comes at no cost to her. Rosalind waits, her hands held in front of her, watching Prompto as the bear doubles down its efforts to buck him off.]

[punshots]

[ To his credit, Prompto's efforts to hang on are admirable, even when the bear starts to buck him and he's flung around like a ragdoll. In another life, he might've done okay as a bull rider.

But eventually he admits defeat, when the bear starts to snarl and rear something fierce, and Prompto hastily slides out the saddle before he gets thrown halfway back to Wyver.

The bear bolts as soon as its free of him, fortunately. They weren't kidding about those rental periods... ]

Man! I could bearly hang on, there!

[ Now she has to suffer through these. ]

I - I'm so sorry

[izanyagi]

[It just so happens that Yu is currently in front but as he turns around, Prompto's light will reveal him holding a small 'statue' of a perfectly shaped bolder in his hand that he got from a hexagon-shaped pedestal right in front of them.]

...oh. Should I put it back?

[Too late, the pedestal slinks into the ground, and the sound of something clicking in farther corridors...]

tis beautiful

[punshots]

[ ....Oh no. Prompto's got a bad feeling about this - a bad feeling that gets even worse as that clicking noise reaches his ears. Whatever that is, it's nothing good, and he's practically jumping to grab Yu's arm and pull him down the corridor with him. ]

C'mon, c'mon, we gotta get outta here, lickety-split!

[izanyagi]

[Many terrible mistakes were made...but then something takes over, as he nods to the other. Let's not say here any longer is the right way to look at this. Even as the sound of something coming their way can be heard a little farther away...]

Right. Let's go.

[Into the corridor they go. Time to put his soccer/football lessons to good use, as he takes off with surprising speed...but making sure that Prompto is following him.]

[punshots]

[ Prompto is right there with him. It's a good thing he picked his running routine back up these last few months - otherwise, he might be in more of a danger of getting caught by...whatever that is.

Speaking of which - Prompto dares to glance behind them to see what's coming, and sure enough...

Yeah, it's a giant rolling boulder. Of course it is. ]

Go go go go go --