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]

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?

[this_loser]

Totally do! Just stand in front of them and look my way.

[He takes a few steps back and measures the scene up on his camera.]

Or maybe, do what you usually do when you come here.

[pinkmin]

[The first direction had been easy enough. Vianca had moved over towards the flowers, turning to look back over at Prompto. It was... well. It was stiff. Not the best looking shot, overall.

She tilt her head at the suggestion, seemingly going over it before she nodded.]

Okay.

[Luckily, she always seemed to have at least one book on her at any given time. So she pulled the tablet out of her bag, settling down in her usual spot near the flowers. There was a soft-spoken round of greetings, how-are-you's and the like, and the gentle apology that she might not be reading to them long. Maybe a page? Would that be okay?

The conversation continued, falling into familiar motions and intonations as if cameras weren't there at all.]

[this_loser]

[The first couple pictures are okay, but unnatural.

Once she settles in, though? It's like he doesn't exist, and it's perfect. He sneaks around so as not to disturb her, snapping away. Some of these would look amazing with a little editing, but he hasn't got the equipment for that.

Satisfied, he takes a seat nearby to look through the shots, giving her time to finish up with the flowers.]

[pinkmin]

[Item From Home Request: An Eos-equivalent computer with Photoshop please.

It took a few moments for her to do so, but Vianca gave a cursory glance up as she read to see where Prompto might have been. When she didn't see him for a few moments more, she actually raised her head to look around. Aha, there he was. Well, she'd definitely gotten through a page, so she bid the flowers a small goodbye with the promise that they would pick it back up again later.

And so Prompto would find that he wasn't on his own after that as Vianca settled in quietly beside him, peeking over his arm curiously.]

[this_loser]

[When she joins him, he smiles softly and tilts the screen on his camera so she can see better. He stops on one of her reading to the plants. He managed to frame it so it looked like she was completely surrounded by flowers. Even so, the light made her hair and eyes stand out. A shame he wasn't able to make prints yet.]

This one is nice, don't you think?

[pinkmin]

[It was in fact very pretty, which was a little odd for her to think since it was her in the picture. It was also just a little odd to see in general, because she still wasn't entirely used to looking at herself with this appearance. Pink and vibrant was such a change from white and pale, so it almost seemed like she was looking at a photo of another person. Almost.

Vianca peered at it a moment longer before she nodded conclusively.]

It looks very nice. The... um. The framing is well done.

[this_loser]

Yeah? Thanks. Once I figure out how to print these, I'll give you a copy. And ... thanks for humoring me.

[He flips away from her photo and navigates to a folder full of more photos.]

You wanted to see some of my adventures?

[pinkmin]

That'd be very nice of you.

[And humoring him seemed to help put him in at least slightly better spirits so...! A win all around? Maybe! At least for a moment.

But lo, it was Adventure Time. Vianca nodded again, a little more eagerly than before as she peeked back up at him.]

Yes, please.

[this_loser]

[Might as well start from the beginning. He brings up the first photo in the gallery.]

This was at the very start of our trip. You might've seen Iggy and Noct around here. That other guy is Gladio. [He feels a pang of sadness. Gladio never made an appearance on the Fleet, and despite everyone from his world who got pulled here, he wasn't one of them. It feels like a lifetime ago that he saw the Shield.]

That car is the Regalia. It was awesome.

[pinkmin]

Oh!

[She actually went up in volume with her surprise, seeing all those familiar faces on the small screen. That was why Prompto's name had seemed so familiar...! He had been the one friend she actually had not seen yet. (Seen, rather than met, since Gladio had only guest-starred in Noctis' thought bubbles.)]

Yes! Noctis is my friend.

[And then it clicked while looking at the Regalia and all of them a bit more, and Vianca whispered dramatically:]

Oh... the bachelor's road trip.

[this_loser]

[He can't help but laugh. Sorry, Vianca. But it feels good to laugh again.]

Yeah. That's right. We were taking Noct to get hitched.

[He flips forward through a few scenery shots of the desert and land on a picture of Noctis.]

Don't tell him I have this one.

[pinkmin]

[Laugh away, Prompto. The drama was for you, and look at how much you were already rewarding her. Vianca peered intensely at this photo.]

I will keep this secret.

...

If you find a way to print copies, though, may I have one of that one too?

[this_loser]

Absolutely!

[He laughs, then bounces a little.]

Oh! This one is cool.

[This one a selfie with one of the beasts they often hunted for money. He has ... so many like this.]

Man it hurt when that thing swung around and got me, though.