[back to arms crossed in front of him, prompto hums in thought.]
Once you're out of the safehouse you've got to fend for yourself. Get a job, or just find something to do to blend in and appear like a normal citizen of New Amsterdam. Some people get apartments and others have stayed in the safehouse instead, it's all up to personal preference.
It's not hard to get on by, though. Morningstar helps with the initial hurdle a lot.
[glancing up at v, he considers the man for a moment.]
When setting up your ID, El asks about your interests to try and help you land a job so you can go about it as you like. Maybe that's something you could think about in the meantime.
[A job. How utterly mundane and very much human; he supposes it would be fitting for him to try to fill that role now, given both this body and his new circumstances. But for all of his memories, his years of existence if taking that other self of his into account, V has a feeling he'll still be a bit at a disadvantage.
Never has he really lived as a "normal" human before. He knows the irony in that, but keeps these thoughts to himself.]
It's difficult to imagine how my interests might apply to a job in this sci-fi future. [Because it really does seem like they're living in the pages of a sci-fi narrative, something dystopian and raw.] Manual labor isn't much my forte. Is there much of a call for the arts still, in this day and age?
[he starts, sitting up and leaning forward, pulling up a bunch of tabs on his own neural implant to look through the different arts related careers.]
I do photography a lot, and I'm popular enough that I cover a couple of small music events and the like. My friend Markus [whom you will never meet] is an artist, and he's into painting and works at an art gallery. Music and arts in general are a big thing in the city.
[he wishes he could share these tabs, but without v having an actual id, he can't send anything at all.]
Dunno about — literature stuff, in specific. Not sure what to even look for. Do you have any ideas? I could look it up.
[No, he has no bloody idea. V exhales through his nose, then leans back to place his cane across his lap as he crosses a leg. Again he's at a disadvantage, never having to give thought to what his preferred daily grind might be.]
Libraries, I assume, have no use. If the whole world has gone the path of digital.
[Is it all floating around the internet? Is there a curator, born of some necessity that he can't even fathom, being centuries behind the times?]
Writing. Or potentially music. You said your focus is on music photography, right? What sort of events are they?
[Are we talking orchestra hall or rock and roll concert.]
Not— music photography. It's just events I like to go to. [he glances down at his hands for a moment] They're just DJs or bands, usually on the electronica scope. People are a lot into the synthesized music now. I've been trying to get into the other genres but it's been a lot harder in comparison.
[V's look is a steady one, even if he might be math lady meme on the inside.]
Voice work and voice overs?
[He doesn't know how reading poems aloud might constitute as a job. However, idea of narration isn't a bad one, not if he's to truly believe the compliment that was slung his way just minutes prior.]
Yeah, but there's gotta be a market for it. Right? People don't read as much anymore even if there's archives of books and documents online and all over. What better way to read but to listen to things?
[he thinks he's on to something!]
Since you probably wouldn't be able to do a lot of the other stuff... What do you think?
[He makes a vague gesture with his hand at Prompto.]
I think one idea is better than none. So I'm minutely better off than before.
[In other words, he'll think about it.]
Not that I can do anything until I'm- [He picks up his cane and uses it to indicate the whole of the safehouse.] -free of my prison. What a blessed day that should be, able to lose myself in the veins of New Amsterdam. I look forward to it.
[With anxious trepidation and curiosity alike. He sort of looks forward to it.]
I'm feeling much better than before. A day's rest is good for this body of mine, since it's so easily worn down.
[He's also less harried by confusion, which means V's mind is of slightly better ease. That makes all the difference, too.]
A tour guide? Right, I'll look to Prompto Argentum, citywide expert. [Is he a citywide expert? It's a joke, because V sure as heck doesn't know.] I do have a question about our supposed powers, though.
[prompto snorts at the joke, not because he knows it's a joke, but because it seems About Right. that, and, it feels a bit like a compliment.]
Good to hear you're doing okay, dude. Getting sedated and moved around like that on top of the usual poison must have been rough. But, yeah, shoot. [about the powers] That's a new one for all of us.
[oh, he knows that already? surprise shows momentarily on prompto's face, before he's nodding to confirm what v heard.]
Yeah. Not just that, though.
[he puts his hand forward, somewhere in the space between the two of them]
Physical contact between any of us will cause our chests to glow. But, uh, [here he pulls back his hand a bit, fingers curling inwards] there's also a kind of emphatic communication... Shared emotions, mostly.
[V's not the sort to sit around and wait for information to be tossed his way. He had done a little bit of asking around, to fill his idle hours as he paced here and there, like a lazy animal trapped in a cage. ]
I was told about that, too. Someone else found me, in the carnival. Told me to avoid touching their skin or else we would glow and share our emotions.
[To V, this sounds like The Worst. But at least there's no sense of surprise or wariness at Prompto's explantation, since he had already been informed the day before. Still, one might wonder why he's even asking at all, then? He clarifies a moment later, the look of any vague amusement beginning to slide off.]
But what I want to know is why— [He pauses just long enough to focus, to call upon his familiars with just a thought of intent, wanting to unbind the power inked into skin and bring one of them into existence. It's always been easy, a part of himself brought forward as feather and fang and claw and power.
It doesn’t work, of course. It didn’t before, and it won’t now, but a blue glow blossoms from his chest and pain crawls beneath bone. V hunches forward just slightly, grimacing.] —this happens. Does the new power override the old? For what purpose?
[hands in fists, he places them over his lap. watches as v presents the same kind of dissatisfied pain as noctis did whenever he tried accessing the armiger or the crystal's magic.]
I don't know what the purpose is, but it does seem like the new does override the old. My friend went through the same. He couldn't access his magic the whole time he was here. Isn't it painful? I wouldn't recommend doing it a lot.
[it seems surprising that v would have powers of some sort, originally, but only because his body denotes the complete opposite of strength. still it isn't as crazy an idea as it should be.]
It's clearly still there though if you get that kind of reaction.
[The glow stops the moment he severs his focus, a hollow resignation singing in his bones. Being so cut off from his familiars, rending him both useless and (lonely) alone in a strange world where he could use their aid, it’s… upsetting, if stays planted on the thought for too long.
Prompto’s words offer a small amount of comfort, at least.]
As long as they’re still there, though… [He trails off, sucks in a slow breath. Leaning back in the chair again, V runs a finger across his arm, trailing one of many coiling designs on his skin.] It means that they’re just under lock and key. That lock being this new power, one that I’ve yet to discover.
[He’s already convinced it can’t be as useful as Shadow or Nightmare, or even loud-mouthed Griffon.]
For all the fanfare about getting new powers, not all of them are that great. [he doesn't know what kind of power v has, new or old, but it's clear that he had no desire whatsoever to exchange it.] Mine helps me concentrate better. Which, I mean, I'm the least distracted person in the world.
[his small attempt at humor, knees being jogged and his curled fists having unfurled into light, rhythmic taps against his jeans.]
[the smile craned on his face falls somewhat flat in awkwardness.]
[Maybe it’s rude to so quickly run with that joke, but he doesn’t seem to care. Prompto, who is all nervous energy, roaming conversations, and quick-fire questions; V’s impression was that he was probably easily distracted, yes. Interesting that his power should apparently correct that, and he wonders how purposeful it was meant to be.
A thin smile, hiding away the discontent for now.]
I was able to summon three different familiars. A large bird, a panther, and… something else. [lol a blob] They would aid me back home, but here? They’ve gone all but silent, like I said.
Okay, I have no idea what familiars are. Or what a panther is.
[sometimes, the earth to eos disconnect is a little too strong, especially now where only he and one more person are from eos—and the other individual isn't exactly someone prompto can go to to reminisce about a home that he misses (a home that ardyn wants gone).]
They sound like pets.
[lol]
...sucks, though. Dunno what it's like to lose that. But — when people come here, they become human. [this is the longest he's been sitting... he's starting to get a little too fidgety] Androids, two thousand year old undead royals. Clones aren't clones anymore. [he huffs, feeling a pressure in his chest. every single time he mentions it, even when he doesn't relate it back to himself.] Hey, do you want water or tea or something?
[There he goes again, going in five different directions when taking the reins of the conversation. Familiars, panthers, undead royals and clones (all very specific, he thinks.) As a result, V follows through with none of them (not yet), just looking at Prompto a little curiously.]
If you want to make me some tea, I won’t say no. Should I accompany you?
[All the way to the kitchen… which isn’t that far, really, from the common area.]
[gratefully, prompto stands up quickly and steps around the chair he had been using, pushing it against the wall where it won't get in anyone's way. he also kicks the umbrella so it rolls towards the chair. there's a skip to his steps, as if the outpouring of energy couldn't have waited too long.]
I mean! Whatever you want!
[arms crossing, he stares at v for a moment.]
Maybe you could test out your new cane? I mean, it's no biggie if you don't, so.
[V doesn’t reply immediately, but it appears he’s silently made his choice when he stands, using the cane to heft himself up and straighten. He walks evenly behind Prompto when the other leads the way; seems like the cane works well enough, as he said it would.
On the way over, though, begin the clarifications—]
A panther is a large, predatory black feline. You should look it up.
[he jumps a little at the voice behind him (he should have expected it), and turns on his heels, walking despite the twirls in his footpath]
Oh, right! I forget I can just look things up.
[which he does, taking a turn into the kitchen and going over to check out the cupboards for the tea-making stuff.]
So it's like the mount you were on at the carousel. A big, black cat. [definitely a pet] Wonder if there's any left around... [aha, tea bags!] Citrus or herby?
[The click of V's cane on the kitchen floor echoes tinnily in the kitchen, and he makes his way over to the counter. Eying the items at their disposal, his decision is quickly made.]
I'll take something herbal. [And at that, he wanders over to the other side of the kitchen, looking up at the appliances available to them.]
You're right, though. It was similar to the mount I chose for myself, but not exact.
[Shadow was not a normal panther, not by any means. It was more of a demonic entity bound to V, that took the form of large predatory cat when it wasn't turning into spikes and sawblades to cut through other demons.]
My familiars gave me a fighting chance. Now I'm as weak as I look, until I can discover just what my new power is supposed to be. [A look over his shoulder.] Was it difficult to figure out yours?
So... a familiar is like a pet. A weaponized pet? [he glances at v, knowing how stupid that sounded, then pushing away from the topic. he grabs a water bottle and gets it in the electric kettle.] It's hard to picture you fighting, or whatever.
[quickly:] No offense.
[let's the water heat up; it'll take a minute. have u got cups, buddy]
[this is when he leans against the counter, hands holding onto the edge.]
It took me a while to figure out my powers cuz I've never had powers in the first place, so it was hard to try and tap into that. Someone told me to meditate for a bit, and it worked.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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[back to arms crossed in front of him, prompto hums in thought.]
Once you're out of the safehouse you've got to fend for yourself. Get a job, or just find something to do to blend in and appear like a normal citizen of New Amsterdam. Some people get apartments and others have stayed in the safehouse instead, it's all up to personal preference.
It's not hard to get on by, though. Morningstar helps with the initial hurdle a lot.
[glancing up at v, he considers the man for a moment.]
When setting up your ID, El asks about your interests to try and help you land a job so you can go about it as you like. Maybe that's something you could think about in the meantime.
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Never has he really lived as a "normal" human before. He knows the irony in that, but keeps these thoughts to himself.]
It's difficult to imagine how my interests might apply to a job in this sci-fi future. [Because it really does seem like they're living in the pages of a sci-fi narrative, something dystopian and raw.] Manual labor isn't much my forte. Is there much of a call for the arts still, in this day and age?
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[he starts, sitting up and leaning forward, pulling up a bunch of tabs on his own neural implant to look through the different arts related careers.]
I do photography a lot, and I'm popular enough that I cover a couple of small music events and the like. My friend Markus [whom you will never meet] is an artist, and he's into painting and works at an art gallery. Music and arts in general are a big thing in the city.
[he wishes he could share these tabs, but without v having an actual id, he can't send anything at all.]
Dunno about — literature stuff, in specific. Not sure what to even look for. Do you have any ideas? I could look it up.
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Libraries, I assume, have no use. If the whole world has gone the path of digital.
[Is it all floating around the internet? Is there a curator, born of some necessity that he can't even fathom, being centuries behind the times?]
Writing. Or potentially music. You said your focus is on music photography, right? What sort of events are they?
[Are we talking orchestra hall or rock and roll concert.]
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[he's still searching,] Music and writing... Uh.
[suddenly prompto looks up]
Why don't you narrate things? Or read poems?
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Voice work and voice overs?
[He doesn't know how reading poems aloud might constitute as a job. However, idea of narration isn't a bad one, not if he's to truly believe the compliment that was slung his way just minutes prior.]
That seems... niche.
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Yeah, but there's gotta be a market for it. Right? People don't read as much anymore even if there's archives of books and documents online and all over. What better way to read but to listen to things?
[he thinks he's on to something!]
Since you probably wouldn't be able to do a lot of the other stuff... What do you think?
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I think one idea is better than none. So I'm minutely better off than before.
[In other words, he'll think about it.]
Not that I can do anything until I'm- [He picks up his cane and uses it to indicate the whole of the safehouse.] -free of my prison. What a blessed day that should be, able to lose myself in the veins of New Amsterdam. I look forward to it.
[With anxious trepidation and curiosity alike. He sort of looks forward to it.]
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[this he indicates with a smile, excited at the prospect (simply because halloween is the best).]
And, well, if you got any questions or need a tour guide— [here he points at himself] you know who to look for.
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[He's also less harried by confusion, which means V's mind is of slightly better ease. That makes all the difference, too.]
A tour guide? Right, I'll look to Prompto Argentum, citywide expert. [Is he a citywide expert? It's a joke, because V sure as heck doesn't know.] I do have a question about our supposed powers, though.
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Good to hear you're doing okay, dude. Getting sedated and moved around like that on top of the usual poison must have been rough. But, yeah, shoot. [about the powers] That's a new one for all of us.
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I hear it's accompanied by a glow in our chests. Is that true?
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Yeah. Not just that, though.
[he puts his hand forward, somewhere in the space between the two of them]
Physical contact between any of us will cause our chests to glow. But, uh, [here he pulls back his hand a bit, fingers curling inwards] there's also a kind of emphatic communication... Shared emotions, mostly.
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I was told about that, too. Someone else found me, in the carnival. Told me to avoid touching their skin or else we would glow and share our emotions.
[To V, this sounds like The Worst. But at least there's no sense of surprise or wariness at Prompto's explantation, since he had already been informed the day before. Still, one might wonder why he's even asking at all, then? He clarifies a moment later, the look of any vague amusement beginning to slide off.]
But what I want to know is why— [He pauses just long enough to focus, to call upon his familiars with just a thought of intent, wanting to unbind the power inked into skin and bring one of them into existence. It's always been easy, a part of himself brought forward as feather and fang and claw and power.
It doesn’t work, of course. It didn’t before, and it won’t now, but a blue glow blossoms from his chest and pain crawls beneath bone. V hunches forward just slightly, grimacing.] —this happens. Does the new power override the old? For what purpose?
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[hands in fists, he places them over his lap. watches as v presents the same kind of dissatisfied pain as noctis did whenever he tried accessing the armiger or the crystal's magic.]
I don't know what the purpose is, but it does seem like the new does override the old. My friend went through the same. He couldn't access his magic the whole time he was here. Isn't it painful? I wouldn't recommend doing it a lot.
[it seems surprising that v would have powers of some sort, originally, but only because his body denotes the complete opposite of strength. still it isn't as crazy an idea as it should be.]
It's clearly still there though if you get that kind of reaction.
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[The glow stops the moment he severs his focus, a hollow resignation singing in his bones. Being so cut off from his familiars, rending him both useless and (lonely) alone in a strange world where he could use their aid, it’s… upsetting, if stays planted on the thought for too long.
Prompto’s words offer a small amount of comfort, at least.]
As long as they’re still there, though… [He trails off, sucks in a slow breath. Leaning back in the chair again, V runs a finger across his arm, trailing one of many coiling designs on his skin.] It means that they’re just under lock and key. That lock being this new power, one that I’ve yet to discover.
[He’s already convinced it can’t be as useful as Shadow or Nightmare, or even loud-mouthed Griffon.]
I’ll sure I’ll be disappointed, either way.
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[his small attempt at humor, knees being jogged and his curled fists having unfurled into light, rhythmic taps against his jeans.]
[the smile craned on his face falls somewhat flat in awkwardness.]
What kind of power did you have before?
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[Maybe it’s rude to so quickly run with that joke, but he doesn’t seem to care. Prompto, who is all nervous energy, roaming conversations, and quick-fire questions; V’s impression was that he was probably easily distracted, yes. Interesting that his power should apparently correct that, and he wonders how purposeful it was meant to be.
A thin smile, hiding away the discontent for now.]
I was able to summon three different familiars. A large bird, a panther, and… something else. [lol a blob] They would aid me back home, but here? They’ve gone all but silent, like I said.
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Okay, I have no idea what familiars are. Or what a panther is.
[sometimes, the earth to eos disconnect is a little too strong, especially now where only he and one more person are from eos—and the other individual isn't exactly someone prompto can go to to reminisce about a home that he misses (a home that ardyn wants gone).]
They sound like pets.
[lol]
...sucks, though. Dunno what it's like to lose that. But — when people come here, they become human. [this is the longest he's been sitting... he's starting to get a little too fidgety] Androids, two thousand year old undead royals. Clones aren't clones anymore. [he huffs, feeling a pressure in his chest. every single time he mentions it, even when he doesn't relate it back to himself.] Hey, do you want water or tea or something?
[please just let him walk a little]
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If you want to make me some tea, I won’t say no. Should I accompany you?
[All the way to the kitchen… which isn’t that far, really, from the common area.]
Or just wait?
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I mean! Whatever you want!
[arms crossing, he stares at v for a moment.]
Maybe you could test out your new cane? I mean, it's no biggie if you don't, so.
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On the way over, though, begin the clarifications—]
A panther is a large, predatory black feline. You should look it up.
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Oh, right! I forget I can just look things up.
[which he does, taking a turn into the kitchen and going over to check out the cupboards for the tea-making stuff.]
So it's like the mount you were on at the carousel. A big, black cat. [definitely a pet] Wonder if there's any left around... [aha, tea bags!] Citrus or herby?
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I'll take something herbal. [And at that, he wanders over to the other side of the kitchen, looking up at the appliances available to them.]
You're right, though. It was similar to the mount I chose for myself, but not exact.
[Shadow was not a normal panther, not by any means. It was more of a demonic entity bound to V, that took the form of large predatory cat when it wasn't turning into spikes and sawblades to cut through other demons.]
My familiars gave me a fighting chance. Now I'm as weak as I look, until I can discover just what my new power is supposed to be. [A look over his shoulder.] Was it difficult to figure out yours?
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[quickly:] No offense.
[let's the water heat up; it'll take a minute. have u got cups, buddy]
[this is when he leans against the counter, hands holding onto the edge.]
It took me a while to figure out my powers cuz I've never had powers in the first place, so it was hard to try and tap into that. Someone told me to meditate for a bit, and it worked.
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