OPEN

[this_loser]

♥ Who: Prompto & OTA
♥ Where: Home, out and about, Ainea’s Temple
♥ When: Beginning of November onward
♥ What: Mourning the missing
♥ Rating: E for Everyone

[ Home isn’t sweet ]
[The first day he realizes Kaname is missing, he bolts out of the house and runs. It’s not his usual run. It’s not his usual route. It’s almost frantic. He stops frequently to look inside public buildings. He pauses to check his tablet, tap something out, wait, and then he’s off again.

When he comes home that night, he curls up on the couch (he can’t stand to enter the bedroom just yet) and … well. He doesn’t sleep. If asked, he can’t recall if he’s slept all in the days that follow. He steals blankets from one of the spare rooms, and picks at food, but he’s not really eating either.

The network confirms that others are missing as well. He had really hoped this sort of thing wouldn’t happen here.]

[ Out and about ]
[He does eventually leave the house. Fresh air is supposed to be good. He thinks that’s probably a lie people tell themselves to feel better. Still, he goes out and wanders aimlessly. He brings his camera anyway, and tries to take pictures. But anyone coming across him would see that he seems unhappy with all of them. He immediately deletes anything he’s captured.]

[ Ainea’s Temple ]
[He finds himself outside Ainea’s temple. He doesn’t expect any answers from the god. He just hopes Kaname’s gone back to her own world, her friends and family. It doesn’t make him feel much better, though.

He picks up a rock and rolls in one hand, wonders if he could knock down one of the sculpted mice serving as decoration. Maybe that would help him feel better.]

Comments

[pinkmin]

[Vianca tilt her head, then glanced up at the sunshine. Not quite the right light, huh...]

What would good lighting be? [She held her tiny hands up, making a rectangle between her thumbs and forefingers.] I had a photography class once, but we were using disposable cameras. I never got the hang of lighting.

[this_loser]

Oh, um. Well, I guess that depends on what you want to do.

[He smiles a bit. He's normally super stoked to talk about lighting and angles and all that good stuff.]

I wanted something cheerful. But so far, nothing looks right.

[pinkmin]

Hmm.

[Hm. It didn't seem like it was the weather. She glanced around at all the white walls and bits of spider mayhem debris, the general lack of greenery... Pleasant despite the debris, but maybe not? Cheerful? She wasn't the person to ask the definition of cheerful from though.]

Maybe they're missing a subject to focus on?

[Things could get built up from there, right??]

[this_loser]

[He stares down as his camera for a second before nodding slowly.]

Maybe that's it.

[He doesn't really think that's it, but he could use a better distraction.]

Wanna help me find something cheerful?

[pinkmin]

[Vianca blinked.]

Oh.

[She didn't look it, but she was surprised. Oh, don't leave him hanging though...! Vianca nodded.]

I can try.

[this_loser]

Alright.

[He takes a look around. Maybe location was the problem. The city was pretty banged up at the moment.]

I think we're missing color. Maybe something bright?

[pinkmin]

Bright and colorful...

[Giving that some thought, Vianca turned in a slow circle to look around them as if something like that might have materialized at their, ahem, prompting. (She very much did not count, no matter how bright and colorful she was!)]

Oh. If you do not mind the walk, the gardens are usually very colorful? Maybe there will be something good along the way.

[There was now a tiny hand extended to you, Prompto. What do you do.]

[this_loser]

[She is quite bright and colorful. She also seems quiet - shy maybe?]

The gardens. Yeah. That's a good idea.

[He releases the camera so it hangs from his neck and takes the little hand. Lead away!]

[pinkmin]

Okay.

[Quiet, definitely. Shy... Sometimes, maybe, depending on the context. She had no problem with curving her fingers around his right now though, taking charge and leading the way!!]

Is there anything you like photographing best?

[this_loser]

[He doesn't have to think long on the answer.]

People, I guess. I like taking pictures of my friends, and remembering what we've done together.

[pinkmin]

Ohhh. It is good to have those.

[She would have liked to have something like that herself, but what could you do?]

Did you all get to go on any adventures?

[this_loser]

Oh, definitely. We traveled all over my world.

[Not all of it was good. A lot of it was bad.]

I could show you.

[pinkmin]

[...!! Vianca nodded way more excitedly than her face showed.]

Would you? I would like to see. Are they still on your camera?

[this_loser]

They are. When we get to the garden, I can show you, okay?

[Maybe this is a better idea than trying to find things to halfheartedly photograph.]

[pinkmin]

Yes, please!

[Vianca was a patient soul, but there was. Perhaps. An uptick in the pace towards the gardens. Zoom zoom.]

[this_loser]

[Cute. He picks up the pace, giving her hand a little squeeze. Guess she likes that idea.]

What's your name?

[pinkmin]

[It's a very good plan! Hearing about adventures is always fun. Interesting, at the very least.]

My name's Vianca. [She glanced up at him.] What's yours?

[this_loser]

Prompto. [He gives her a smile.] It's nice to meet you, Vianca.

[The garden is near enough to see now.]

[pinkmin]

It's nice to meet you too, Prompto.

[You and your familiar sounding name. Had someone mentioned a Prompto to her? She was 90% sure she'd heard! That name before!

They're so close, they're practically there! Close enough to just gloss over this whole paying to get in thing and call that part good. There were only colors and flowers now.]

Do you come to the gardens very often?

[this_loser]

As often as I can. My...um. I have a little guy at home who likes to play in the water.

[Technically, Q-lulu was Kaname's. But the poor mercat was left behind when she disappeared. Taking care of her was the least he could do.

He snaps out of his melancholy with a sigh.]

Uh, let's find a good place to sit down and I'll show you some pictures.

[pinkmin]

[Prompto that didn't really explain anything. In fact it just raised a lot of questions. (Little guy? Was that a plant? A pet? A child? A plant child? A robot?) The desire for clarification wasn't very strong though, because the way he had said it just seemed so sad?

Vianca wasn't sure, since they had only just met, but she was watching him a little more closely as she glanced up at him.]

Okay. Um... there is a big flower patch this way? I like to come and read to them.

[She's going to go ahead and lead you that way, Prompto. Their colors were so soft, they seemed like the perfect place to curl up in to take a nap, and their scents were so soothing. It was a nice spot!]

[this_loser]

[It will make more sense when he shows her the pictures. In the meantime, he's content to let her lead.]

You read to the flowers? That sounds nice.

[The colors were really lovely. He brings out his camera, almost automatically.]

Hey, how do you feel about getting your picture taken?

[pinkmin]

They are nice listeners.

[She'd been looking over them when he dropped that photo question, so Vianca had to glance back at him with a blink. Getting his camera out for the flowers made perfect sense, they were very pretty! And cheerful. And good. But?]

My picture? I don't mind, but I'm not... very cheerful...

[this_loser]

I bet.

[He'll have to try it sometime, rather than unload on other people.]

You don't have to be. I just think you compliment the colors. It'd be a nice photo.

[pinkmin]

Do I? [She really wasn't sure, but she wasn't the photographer here. But if he didn't mind her, then:] You can take some if you'd like.

[Since he was going to let her see his other ones!]

Should I do anything?