meadowlarklogs | ( january catch-all )

[he's walking long corridors again: cold and metallic, with very little sense of direction and an ever-gnawing foreboding feeling in the pit of his stomach. the only familiarity in these corridors is the fact that they all look pretty much the same -- and that in itself isn't very comforting. doors are locked, new passages open up where he's sworn were dead ends, a menacing presence of magitek troopers patrolling nearby a constant. it's all very similar to what he lived through, along with the voice from the speakers, so familiar and yet so distant, relaying him with terrible news, picking at what's left of his own comfort to shroud him into a mess of insecurities.]

[prompto is empty-handed when he reaches a door which opens up to a set of stairs leading down, into the darkness and the unknown. he can't make himself not go through, the echo of his boots on the stairs the only sound--]

[it's all your fault! there's a glimmer and a spark, crystallized sword in the hands of the form rushing forward towards him: noctis. expression angry and betrayed, slashing at him with the blade, seeking to hurt. prompto finds himself evading the attacks, falling back on his feet and rolling out of the way, clambering to get back to safety where his best friend can't hurt him. but the door he came through is gone, nothing but a wall and a dead end. it doesn't take long for noctis to catch up to him, pining him against it, pressing blade to his throat. but his face is distorted, shifting, prompto realizes, features never quite coming into focus. why do you keep following me around! the next second, there's a gun in his hand. you're nothing but a failure, the face becomes even more distorted, and there's starscourge leaking through the eyes, melting into the skin, corroding it all the way through.]

No!

[his own voice sounds out of place, the echoes of a gun shot melding between dream and reality. he's sitting up, wide-eyed, sweat soaking through his clothes and the mattress. with wild eyes he looks around himself, patting the bed above him down and finding it empty. panic rises.]

Noct? Where's Noct!

[prompto's scrambling to his feet, the final visual in his nightmare burning at him. did he shoot besithia? did he shoot noctis? he's still between the sleeping and the awake, feet tangling on the sheet and culminating his brave expedition into a tumble onto the floor.]

Ughnn...

Edited 2019-01-07 02:09 (UTC)

[damian has insisted that prompto better prepare himself to be the best. problem is, prompto does not want to be the best, because being the best means being better than noctis--who has trained his whole life as part of his crown prince training, better than ignis--who could probably kill someone while sleeping, and better than gladiolus--who's hand can crush prompto's head without much effort. he just needs to be good enough to get by, good enough to survive, and good enough to do his part in protecting noctis.]

[good enough is a recurring theme in prompto's life, and he's happy with that.]

[having agreed to meet for a training session really just meant that prompto would bustle in with a fair amount of enthusiasm. getting to be at the safehouse means that prompto's more excited about showing off the fruits of his labor: chocobo iced cupcakes. he's only got two to present, really, because his efforts into piping any sort of shape was a disaster and there's so much one can learn from the mental how-to-wiki.]

Hafid! Before you say anything, [at damian's approaching him] check these bad boys out!

[praise his arts and crafts... he's learning... unnecessary things.]

[sometimes, there's really nothing to do at the new amsterdam train station. everything's working just fine, the last time they did a system check was less than 24 hours ago, and the supervisor said they would give them a call if anything fell through. it isn't an issue, really, and wharton--the electrical engineer prompto's shadowing--insists on giving prompto advice by way of instructing him that it's never a bad thing to have more than one job at the ready for days such as these.]

[so, while not surprising, prompto hadn't actually imagined that they would be working at the hospitals too. it's late at night but that's because their working hours have been moved around due to the weather, and at least in this location they're working inside, meaning that they get ventilation in the way of air conditioning. except that prompto gets very little in basking in that when they get the problem report that they have to turn off the air conditioning on this wing of the hospital in order to clean the air conditioners, check for issues, and repair any problems.]

[turning his cap backwards, he follows along wharton, carrying the bag with the tool they'll be needing for the job. i'll be going with the maintenance chief to check the powerhouse equipment. you're meeting a mechanic to go through the air conditioner issue, so stay put. he's ordered that much and prompto's somewhat curious as to why they'd need a mechanic? but -- if he's going to be doing something by himself, he best follow someone else's lead. you got this, kid.]

Aye, aye captain.

[he mock salutes as wharton heads off, and he's left standing in his work overalls and gloves, a lanyard with his identification as (apprentice) electrical engineer hanging from around his neck, waiting for this mechanic he's to be paired up with.]

[prompto's walking around the mall, wanting to find some new threads to fill up the shared wardrobe with more clothing options. it's not a necessity, but it's one of the very few things that gives him some sense of control over the current circumstances.]

[it's a bit surprising for him to encounter heine, however, standing in front of a shop that blitzes neon pink and green onto the man's pale skin, advertising for some leathery trend or another.]

[he really hopes sneaking up behind the other doesn't scare him like how their first meeting went--]

Oh! Those boots are pretty cool. Super expensive. Don't think I'd buy them for that price.

[honestly? their apartment is not big enough to house four grown male adults. in his own consideration, it's easier when it's ignis, noctis, and himself--because they're used to cramped living situations. one more person isn't exactly ideal, but it's a bit reminiscent of having gladiolus around.]

[since they were, in fact, without one much needed extra piece of sleeping furniture, prompto headed out to the mall and found himself purchasing one inflatable mattress. it's funny how these things exist, even in the future.]

[reaching what is 'home,' prompto steps in around noon time, expecting to see the place deserted; he'd just have to message achilles about the present left for him. instead, however, the man he seeks is lounging on the couch for whatever reason.]

Hey, Chilly! [prompto grins, closing the door with the back of his boot as he excitedly walks over.] I got something for you! Bet you'll never guess what it is.

[the further one moves away from the needles on the upper east quadrant of the city and closer to the wall, the more 'human' the city looks. at least in prompto's point of view. there's something worth noting about too much clutter--with the bright neon lights, nonstop noise, the seedy happenings, at least two street fights per night, the hum of the hover cars and bikes.]

[it can feel like it's hard to breathe. so, finding this area close to the wall where it's mostly derelict and deserted of any real attempt at civilization feels like fresh air.]

[and the perfect place to practice some shooting with a bow and arrows without calling too much attention. that, and, if he had his camera, he'd love to do the scenic type of shooting, too.]

[for now, he makes do with taking pictures with his eyes.]

[turning, hands on his hips, he nods and meets kate's eyes.]

This seems pretty okay for a makeshift shooting range, I guess.

[Kate smiles, purple bow slung over one shoulder, her quiver in her hand.]

I've seen worse. Do you want me to demonstrate first, or should we just jump right in?

Demonstrate first!

[he's nearly bouncing as he approaches, getting down onto a squat and simulating a frame with his fingers, stretching his arms forward]

Gives me a chance to take a couple of shots myself! [he stops a moment] If you're okay with that? It's totally for training purposes.

[ Well, at least there's that. Damian blinks at his overeager approach. ]

You baked. [ He isn't sure what he expected, but it sure as hell wasn't this. They're not bad, either - well, maybe the eyes could be a little straighter but that's really just nitpicking. ] It's passable.

[ Which is Damian for 'it's good'. Probably. ]

[ It's her first week on the job, and Rey's already feeling better.

It's a strange thing, but like on Jakku, work helps her find a routine, gives her purpose. She's always busy, there's always something to do, and by the time she gets home — or more accurately, for the time being, back to the safehouse — she's too tired to overthink anything, to dwell, to feel the keen grief of losing Finn and Poe in one fell swoop. It's an easy, effective solution to dodging emotional consequences for someone who's never learned how to talk about her problems and her feelings.

And she's getting paid. Which means in short order, she should be able to get out of the safehouse and into a decent apartment again. The trouble with this job, though, is that they've taken her as someone familiar with the city, and though she's done her best, Rey's never dealt with a place of this scale before. So when she's fretting around from job to job, half of her time is spent, well, trying to figure out where the hell she's going.

They do keep her busy.

She arrives on site at the hospital slightly out of breath, hitching her work bag higher on her shoulder. ]

Sorry I'm late.

[ She spots Prompto's badge before she fully processes him, sticking out her hand. In addition to being too busy to think, she's ... mostly been too busy to take note of new faces. (She would never admit that it has something to do with fear — that new arrivals are just more people who can disappear, like Tony did.) ]

Rey. I'm from Giles Bell. You're the engineer?

[ Achilles had showed up at Noctis' apartment not knowing he had two other people living with him. This, of course, didn't stop him from imposing himself on the group and making himself at home in the small living space. He wanted to be closer to Noctis and was willing to live in uncomfortable conditions to do so.

Most types of shelter beats living in a tent for ten years, after all. This is nothing.

It just so happens that the couch, though lacking privacy, is in a great location between the kitchen, the bathroom, and Noctis' bedroom. He doesn't complain much about it, though sometimes he wakes up with tense joints.

Upon Prompto barging in unannounced, Achilles rolls over on the couch to peek over his shoulder, bleary-eyed from his afternoon nap. ]

What? What is it? Is it a weapon? [ His next guess is food.

Also, Chilly? He doesn't feel cold... ]

Edited 2019-01-07 13:32 (UTC)

[he's carrying the bag with their supplies for cake, of course, because gaby's better at choosing what it is they need in order to create this baked good that he doesn't really remember how to pronounce at all. it's not so much about him learning any baking, though; he simply basks in being in someone else's presence.]

--Gladio's a big guy, though. Like massive, with so many muscles. The fact that I got to scare him meant everything.

[of course he gets to talk shit about gladiolus when the man isn't around to claim otherwise. prompto jostles the contents of the bag as he accommodates the weight on his arms, walking along the street where the night market has been set up. he's not sure if they're done shopping for things, but he doesn't mind having a look around some more.]

His choke hold of death was so worth the scream he let out that day!

[he's laughing some to himself, then turns towards gaby. just making conversation:] You got any friend who is like that?

[ She'd almost felt a little guilty about loading Prompto up like that, but he's shown nothing but readiness to assist her, even insisting at one point that he could more than manage it himself, and so Gaby follows not quite in tow but occasionally stopping to visually track their surroundings; it's mostly a means of quietly observing where they are, and if asked she can just say she's trying to make sure they don't need anything else to complete the recipe.

If she remembers it correctly off the top of her head, that is. ]

Hmm? [ She doesn't realize the question's been posed to her at first, caught up somewhere between quiet scrutiny of their environment and listening to his story, and so the smile that follows is remarkably unguarded when she realizes she does know someone exactly like that. ]

I do. [ Even if her relationship with Illya may not necessarily constitute "friendly" at all times. ] They're here, in fact.

[at least talking with gaby is easy. even when she's silently scoping the place out as is her way of doing things and despite the fact that prompto is just a non-stop talker, their conversation is amicable enough. it's comfortable, for what it's worth, and for prompto who has always been so self-conscious about what others may think of him finds this a nice change of pace.]

[he smiles right back.]

Yeah? Man, that's pretty sweet that you've got a friend here even if the circumstances could be better.

[he really doesn't think he could have acclimated as well as he has had it not been for noctis being around.]

Doubt they're as muscular as Gladio though. [a rather soft hm comes after his words, as if he's proud of someone else's ... pecs.] Guy's a mountain. [turns out, prompto's a bit homesick.] What's their name, by the way?

They're more than passable!

[prompto's just so proud of his accomplishment.]

You should try one out! I found some berries so I, like, squished those and added sugar and made it some sorta jam. [after a second, he admits.] That probably needs more work.

Besides, chocobos.

[he's caught by surprise at her arrival, everything happening rather quickly as she offers an apology, offers her hand, and introduces herself. prompto's left squabbling for a moment before he reacts-]

Yeah, that's me. Prompto. Nice to meet yo--

[-and takes her hand, his eyes widening at the sudden blue glow on their chests and an unfiltered exchange of emotions; it's probably funny that they're on a similar spectrum, prompto anxious and somewhat nervous about the job to come.]

[immediately he pulls his hand away, because the glow is really telling.]

Wait, [hissed whisper] you're also from -- you know, the safehouse and stuff?

Y'know-

[he sets the box down and gets down on his haunches, opening it up and pulling out its content.]

Have you looked into getting a job yet?

[standing straight and jumping just a bit to get the end of the inflatable mattress out, arms stretched upwards, he presents it to achilles with a grin. the material's a bit heavy, so he walks over and drapes it over the other.]

But first, it's an inflatable mattress! It's kinda shitty that Iggy gets to sit on the chair to sleep, but this way we all got something to sleep on, technically.

[ don't encourage this guy .... he has no real income yet...

but seriously, the worst thing about being in this place was, apart from everything else, getting used to the changes to his body and senses. it feels like he's got a bag over his head constantly - not being able to see or hear who is approaching him until it's too late. Heine doesn't quite flinch as the voice sounds behind him, but he does hunch his shoulders somewhat, shoving his hands into his pants pockets. ]

Didn't ask you for opinions.

[ it's... that guy from the party. what was his name? ]

What was your name again?

[ For the first time since she discovered these empathy links, she flinches away from it faintly. It's too honest. The anxiety of her job, the haste, it's only thinly covering the grief she feels. She doesn't want to share that with anyone, least of all a stranger. It's ... private.

Beyond that she's just startled. It catches her off guard, the blue light, the sudden flood. Her eyes flutter slightly wider, and then she shakes her hand out, as if dispelling some shock. ]

Yeah. Were you — [ She frowns, brow furrowed. ] I don't remember you. [ She shouldn't be fussing about this now. She's on a timer. Not paid by the hour, anymore, or by the project, but they're liable to dump another one on her at any time, and the hospital is an issue that needs to be addressed sooner rather than later. Still, she stops. Had she really not noticed? Had she really been that far removed, worrying about Finn and Poe, that she'd stopped waiting for anyone else? ]

Prompto. You kneed me in the throat [--that's an exaggeration--] but all's forgiven. Don't think we properly exchanged names, though.

[prompto eases right at home, crossing his arms and balancing a relaxed stance, his outfit of the day. it's too hot to exist so at least he has an excuse for those extra sleeveless shirts.]

You like these kinda clothes?

[he motions towards the store, a curious glance up at the other.]

Edited 2019-01-09 15:40 (UTC)

[ For a moment, she thinks she may have been too distracted and missed being able to hold up her end of the conversation, but when he responds to her smile with one of his own it's reassuring, and Gaby makes a mental note to try and direct most of her attention back here rather than running the risk of becoming too preoccupied with everything else around them.

She won't correct him on the friend label, but it's true that she does have someone here from home, and a familiar face has been more of a comfort than not.

Although whoever this Gladio is, she suspects Illya's build could certainly prove a worthy competitor. ] His name is Illya. He's Russian. Very tall. Doesn't talk much. [ Maybe Prompto had noticed a big man basically glowering at everyone and everything when they first arrived to the safehouse; he's pretty hard to miss, especially when standing next to Gaby herself. ] Perhaps you encountered him already?

[ If I don't write this now, I never will, so this thread is going to start over text! Executive decision. YEAH. ]

wanna check out the festival

you busy?

[the truest of heroes]

i wanna goooo but i'm at a training seminar for another 2-3 hours

[after a minute:]

i should make a run for it

Russian? He's always -- rushin'? Gotta go fast...?

[color him confused for a moment, because russian doesn't sound like anything familiar to him. he stops to glance at a stand that's selling cricket eggs--because although he finds it revolting, he's still pretty curious about it.]

[a few of them seem to wiggle and he makes a face and a sound. he's definitely not a fan.]

Don't think I've met him, though. Properly, anyway. There's a lot of people who like to not talk very much.

[he bumps at her arm a little with his elbow]

Maybe I'll run into him some day. There's a lot more people here than I've met, apparently. From our situation. Y'know.

It's okay.

[he manages easily, even though he's frowning a bit, trying to remember if he can place her face somewhere--but nothing really comes up that is familiar to him.]

I still haven't met a lot of people that are in the same boat. Guess we just missed each other, huh?

[trying to ease the tension of the situation, prompto smiles, then motions down the hall with a nod of his head.]

We can talk while we work?

( january catch-all )

► IGNIS

► DAMIAN

► REY

► HEINE

► ACHILLES

► KATE

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► GABY

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► ARANEA

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