feb catch-all

[iustaegis]

♥ Who: Pyra and Various + One basic open prompt
♥ Where: Around town
♥ When: Throughout Feb
♥ What: Catch-all!
♥ Rating: no warnings needed for now!

The Most #Basic of Open Prompts
Oh, going somewhere? [ As usual, Pyra is here to extend a hand or an arm to you as you walk, her smile warm and friendly. ] Might I join you in the meantime?

[ Might as well, and she appears to be in a good mood as always. For the more observant among those who have held her hand before, her touch is not as strong. ]

Wildcard
[ If you want a thread with Pyra, hmu with anything or PM/PP me at drinksteapots! ]

Comments

For Somnus + Noctis

[iustaegis]

[ With the petition to explore outside the barrier granted, the day to venture out finally arrives. She meets with them at the northern wall, where a robotic local informs them they will be accompanying the three of them. After a few of the locals complete a thorough health check, Pyra, Somnus, and Noctis are given exosuits to protect them from the unforgiving environment of the wastes outside. To her own surprise, they are also given secure containers to obtain samples of their choosing. With one final check of their equipment and suits, and accompanied by their guide, they exit the barrier's protection...




Capping one container for a sample of air, she turns her head northward, lips pursing into a frown as she attempts to peer through the heavy, churning atmosphere. Behind them looms the shadow of the wall and the energy-rich sheen of the barrier; ahead is nothing but wastes and scattered structures that have somehow remained standing against the onslaught of the storm. Beyond that she can only see a hint of even larger structures in the distance: mountains, perhaps,but they're too far to make out in the haze of the atmosphere. ] ....There's not a lot of visibility.

[ What sort of energy powers the currents of these storms, she wonders. Is it a certain spin of this globe, the different strata of the atmosphere above sliding against the denser ones below, a vortex caused by a collision of temperatures, is city itself simply caught in a location where it has continued to rage on? Or is it something else? With a shake of her head, she dismisses these thoughts to focus on the present. ] But I think it would be worthwhile to investigate a few of these buildings after we gather a sample of the soil, and... [ She turns her gaze to the wall and the larger grooves that track up to it upon the ground. ] Those markings upon the ground, too.

[ Turning her head back to her companions, a new smile can be heard in her voice. It's more than likely than all that they had planned to look for and test in terms how far they might travel had been a bit too ambitious for a first venture... but she can't be disappointed. ] Let's do what we can, [ She says encouragingly. ] with what we have.  

[ Hopefully, no one might judge them for not discovering more. They're only three people with limited resources and one guide, after all. Whatever they find might, no matter how little, may help whoever may be next to return outside. ]

[meridio]

[The path ahead is degraded, but not so much as to make it impossible to head northward, where Somnus sees a silhouetted structure in the distance amid the storm. Visibility is poor and there's no telling if the weather will worsen as they move out. The deserted buildings scattered before them are almost clear, though, and bear a strong resemblance in architecture to those in the city.

A sample of the air has already been obtained by Pyra. Calda, a true escort, stands off to the side in spite of her superior knowledge of the outside landscape. Somnus glances her way—it's hard to miss her towering frame when he looks around—then at Noctis before following Pyra's gaze to the grooves in the ground. He uncaps the container he was given to collect a soil sample.

Movement in the exosuit is a touch different from it without, but nothing he can't handle. He's transferred his soul between bodies before, not unlike Calda here. A loose layer of protection isn't going to hinder him. They must make the best of the leave they've been given to venture beyond the wall, just as Pyra said.]

[carbungle]

[As easygoing as their guide is, Noctis can't help but feel on edge, scouting ahead a little without falling out of sight from the rest of the group, making sure the path is safe and watching for potential dangers before the others get too close. His hands are at his sides, tense and practically itchy, ready to call on his blade or the newly-acquired shield if need be. He's used to Gladio not being around to watch his back, or Ignis due to his blindness, but not even having Prompto means he's going to feel twitchy this whole day. Hopefully his anxiety about it won't manifest into poor performance, because he is here to help, and since Pyra sought him out specifically he has to bring something to the table. This is a rare kind of excursion for sure, and if they screw it up they might not get more chances.

He hasn't forgotten the city invasion, though, and the monsters that had swarmed the streets. Whatever lives out here is dangerous, and if nothing else, he's determined to keep them safe. Let them worry about samples, he's officially on guard dog duty.

He's unusually quiet as a result, acknowledging Pyra's words with a lift of his hand as he quietly stalks from one side of the broken road to the next, halting on the opposite side to crouch down and brush gloved fingers over the old tracks. What is this...?]

[iustaegis]

[ She’ll be recording and taking a few photos of what they have to find in the meantime, all to be organized later. Those still within the city will be curious, no doubt.

As she’s debating whether they should acquire a second soil or air sample, she spots the younger of the two kings she has asked to come with her crouch along markings upon the ground. She expects somber silence from Somnus, and he’s already delivering with going about their purpose to dutifully gather samples. Noctis? Not so much. She doesn’t believe she’s ever seen him this grimly focused. ]

Did you find something?

[ They seem akin to track marks from afar. She’ll be sure to make a note of the pattern of its grooves, although they’re far larger than any standard vehicle she’s ever seen, if they had been made by one at all. Something industrial and massive had to make these, raking across the ground to upturn the earth like giant claws. Judging from how they cut into the ground, they must have come after the now-eroded road had been set. ]

[meridio]

[Closing the container, Somnus straightens. Another soil sample from a different patch of ground like the compacted dirt forming the grooves could prove beneficial, but first he heads over to Noctis, wondering all the while what Pyra is seeing with her superior insight.]

What do you see?

[The question addresses both of his companions as he watches their surroundings. At least one of them should be looking out and around, rather than down, at any given moment.]

[carbungle]

Tracks.

[Unhelpful and obvious, but he gestures towards Pyra to take photos of it while they're up close, since she's recording things.]

I've seen tank tracks before, and these are similar but they're way too deep. Whatever did this had to be huge, or at least real dense.

[He stands up, trying to follow the path the tracks lead, though he's already seeing signs that the patterns have faded the deeper into the storm that it goes.]

[iustaegis]

[ She follows Noctis' gaze out into the storm, finding nothing. For them to last this long compared to all else that has been eroded, whatever made this must have been heavy and powerful indeed. She sees sheer force, not any burns from these marks...

She snaps another picture, and another. ] It seems we can't follow them out to the storm, but... [ She looks along the opposite of the tracks. ] They seem to track that way, too. [ Towards the wall.

Hm. ] Let's collect a soil sample here, but deeper. Whatever made these was massive, and the material that was used to make it might have chipped or shaved off in the process. [ Like finding bits of diamond dust from crystal drill tips in overturned mines soil! Or so she hopes. Saying this, she begins to dig into one of the grooves. ]

Assuming that it was a machine that made these [ And not, like, a giant monster claw that dragged down the earth. ] maybe we'll find particulate-- the archives spoke of two different ores, after all....

[meridio]

[Pyra's got the digging. Somnus has the container, being the one to have collected the first dirt sample. With Noctis back on watch, he kneels beside her. They're going to be picking things up along the way, so it would be best to keep their samples as organized as possible.

Perhaps Calda has an idea about what they're investigating.]

What says our escort?

[havenpc]

[Also on guard duty while they explore the area, the large armored bot nearby ceases her patrol and stomps her way over, leaning in to see what they're looking at.]

...Ah, yeah, those things! They're all around the city, been there for years. I think the labs did some research on it a while back, but outside conditions were rough and they didn't seem to do anything, so it ended up as low priority.

[She raises her big metal fists, her knuckles shiny and serrated.]

You want me to dig something up?

Setting this the 13th, for Tremors reasons~

[unfavorableinstigation]

Nowhere in particular.

[That's Nita's answer, though she reaches out her hand in turn.]

Just trying to think and walk. At least gravity's working again...

[iustaegis]

[ And so without further ado, their hands link. They set down an arbitrary path. ]

That... was a fright, wasn't it? [ So she says, but her smile comes easy, relaxed. ] It makes one wonder what's in store this month.

[unfavorableinstigation]

Hopefully nothing involving the wall.

[Nita shakes her head, more slowly than they're walking.]

I'd hope it's nothing to do with Valentine's Day, but that seems kind of silly in retrospect. It is a holiday about love, after all...

[iustaegis]

Valentine's Day...?

[ Somehow, the name seems familiar.

Unfortunately, it's far too deeply buried within her memory for her to pick out; which, when that old, is selective at best. Nita may have to explain this. ]

TL;DR begins!

[unfavorableinstigation]

[Nita nods.]

It's a holiday on several iterations of Earth. The backstory differs a little - it's named after a holy figure, a Saint Valentine, and a sacrifice he made in the name of love - but the short of it that I know is that it's a pretty commercial holiday.

If you have someone you're affectionate for - mostly romantically - you buy them cards or flowers or jewels, or indulge in passtimes you don't normally get to do together.

[Nita shakes her head again.]

Though what ends up happening there, most of the time, is that people get real showy with their love, and then it turns into some sort of contest as to who's showing the most 'real' love, which usually means spending money.

[iustaegis]

Oh, I see... [ That is definitely a thorough explanation, and if she recalls correctly, there had been a similar day to celebrate love back in her world of a different name. ]

It's a shame that there are those out there who feel they must be, ah, "showy" about it. [ And yet, she smiles. ] But maybe that, too, is how they express their own love. [ In a grandiose manner, not quietly. All forms of showing love are good in her book. ]

[unfavorableinstigation]

[Nita glances at Pyra, considering.]

... I guess you're right.

It's hard for me to see love as a competition, is all. Or a relationship as something you have to keep scores on, while we're at it.

[Though that's something she's found herself doing once or twice - each time having to remind herself it's not necessary.]

[iustaegis]

[ A-- competition. And keeping scores? ] You're making it sound like a... sports game! Maybe even with opposing supporters.

end of the month;

[carbungle]

[They're about halfway through a training session - warping today, as he's been trying to practice warping two people without relying much on her sharing energy - when Noctis calls for a break sooner than they usually would. They end up on the roof overlooking the temple grounds, as people come and go beneath them, somewhat private and out of earshot but not so far up as to be dangerous. Noctis sits down on the edge of the roof, legs kicking idly over the side.]

Hey, Pyra... I wanna tell you something.

[iustaegis]

[ She’s noticed in these past few months of them training together, that he tends to like high places: perches where he might either sit and rest, or ledges onto which he might grapple with his warp to hang from his sword. For this instance, he’s chosen a good vantage point. Beyond them is the quiet afternoon of the temple grounds below, the priests preparing for the day’s end; further out is the city, the barrier...

She looks at his back when he speaks, and then after a moment, she joins him sitting at the edge, close enough to reach for his hand. A few stories high upon the building like this, the breeze rustles through their hair. ]

Yes...?

[ Each time they train, he’s been making great strides. She wonders if there is something else on his mind. ]

[carbungle]

Might seem kind of a weird thing to share out of the blue, but… bear with me.

[She'll understand by the time he finishes, he hopes. Otherwise it's too senseless a story to be sharing.]

Back home, Lucis has been losing territory to Niflheim for ages, especially since the wall kept getting pulled back. As a result the Crown City started taking in refugees since before I was born, and it turns out a lot of them were adept at using the king's magic. One of them helped to form and train a part of the army, and he ended up really close to our family. His whole department was formed to protect me and my dad. We really trusted him to take care of us, and he was pretty dependable. And since he was there for us my whole life he… kind of became an uncle, in a lot of ways.

[He remembers trying to climb the man like a tree as a child, scrambling over layers of armor, tugging on his cape. He'd been hefted on the captain's hip more times than he can count growing up in the Citadel, when he was wild and impulsive and loved to run away for attention, sending the Kingsglaive and Crownsguard into a tizzy while they were away from the front lines. The man was there for his warp training, guided him through summoning weapons when Gladio lacked the retainer connection, steadied his hand in practice sessions with a sharp word or stern look.

Everything is so much worse in retrospect, thinking about how much of Noct's life he'd been present for.]

[iustaegis]

[ When he begins to speak of his world, she thinks at first it is to share a lighter story; seeing his more serious expression, however, makes her think otherwise.

He speaks of a man-- a refugee-- who wasn't part of his family, but became a like part of his family that Noctis regards him almost as an uncle. In this way, the not-by-blood three brothers he has with him now makes much more sense, since the foundations of adopting others into his circle had been established before. That's a lovely tale alone, but it seems he has more to say.

Cautiously, she nods to show that she is listening, allowing him to continue. ]

[carbungle]

[He's quiet for a bit, almost long enough to make it seem as if that's it, story over. The giveaway is likely his expression, though: conflicted, angry. A quiet sadness, beneath it all. Finally, he continues,]

He was lying. I don't why, I don't know for how long- at least a decade, probably more. He was working with Niflheim. My dad trusted him, shared his power so he could protect us, and that man murdered him and let Insomnia fall. He betrayed everyone-

[His hand tightens, clenching around hers, and he catches himself and jerks it away before he hurts her, mumbling an apology. His anger is more visible with the words out, though fortunately not as powerful as it had been when he actually found out. He'd very nearly broken his hand on a tree that day, and it's lucky Cor and Gladio had been there to work him through his rage more productively.]

[iustaegis]

[ She draws a silent breath as he reveals this man's betrayal of his family, bringing a hand up to her chest as if she could feel the sting of it herself. But there is no true way to understand what he's gone through, not with something like that happening to him or his father. A loved one being murdered by someone else that one trusted-- it's awful to think about.

He jerks his hand away from hers before she can stop him, and she's left looking at her empty palm in stunned silence. She has known since their very first conversation how upset he is over his father's death, but to hear of the details of it... His anger and grief is absolutely valid. ] Noct...

[ Suddenly, she feels a strange regret over something she had no power over: that she hadn't been there for him, in this faraway world, to offer comfort or condolences. It hurts knowing that he has suffered. ]

That's... horrid. [ Carefully, she places a hand upon his shoulder lightly; not for this world, but for him. ] ...I'm so sorry.

[carbungle]

[Noctis gives himself a moment to settle, rein in that quiet anger, hands clasping together on his knees.]

I'm not telling you this for sympathy or anything. Nothing's gonna change what happened. I told you so you'd have some context for when I say that I haven't shared my power with anyone since then. I didn't know who I could trust with it, who wouldn't just stab me in the back like Dad. And it's not right, it's not fair to anybody who could use it, who'd be safer if I did.

[Cor. The Crownsguard who survived Insomnia. Iris. The hunters who fought day and night to defend Lucis. His father supported so many while he lived, and he'd left it at only three, while everyone else was risking their lives, fighting for him, dying for him. Would Jared have lived, if he'd had a way to defend himself? What about the hunters whose dogtags they'd recovered out in the wild, not even a body to bring home to those left behind?

He gazes down at his hands, palms open to the sky. The covenant marks are there, a rare day when they're uncovered, staring back as if mocking him. She'd said it herself: so much power. And still, he'd been mastered by his own fear and resentment for so long.]

I don't... want to be like that anymore. Not when it could save people.

[iustaegis]

[ Even if he gave no context for not sharing his powers like his father had, she wouldn't have questioned it. Now that she knows, she sees that the betrayal, too, is a scar upon him, one that he might have readily carried because not trusting is a natural reaction, if not a conscious decision, in response to something like that.

However, it seems that he's ready to overcome it. She wonders if something has happened to push him in this direction. With a tender tone, she speaks:] I hope that... no one expects you to share your power, if you are not ready.

[ However.

"Not when it could save people."

...Yes, this is the only reason more power should be shared. ] But it seems like you've come to a decision.