[There's no reply to that. Only moments passing, before V becomes visible once he turns a corner, ambling (like he said) down a long alleyway that would normally lead back to the safehouse. He has his cane in hand, but carries it in a loose grip instead of utilizing it just yet; it appears as if his time cooped up in one place has granted him energy enough to walk easily without needing it.
Until he comes to a stop next to Prompto, of course, in which the tip of said cane taps against the ground for him to lean against.]
Well. Here I am.
[Dressed plainly, in Morningstar-given clothing; but like before, his color choices all run dark.]
[and there he is. prompto smiles, finger guns at v (stupid, embarrassing), and giving the guy a solid, friendly slap on the arm.]
You're really into black, huh? You're looking a lot better.
[prompto's more casual today, long sleeves because it has been more chilly out lately. the fact that v has nothing on his back other than his clothes and cane makes it clear that the guy literally has nothing, which should be expected.]
[he starts leading the way, out towards the less busy streets of new amsterdam]
You're gonna need clothes and like a bunch of other things. I got some stuff that one of my friends would wear. It's mostly suits but... could be helpful in a pinch. There's a bunch of thrift stores along the way anyway.
[The friendly slap has him grinning his usual wry smile, lopsided thing that it can be.]
Why not match the rest of me? [In reference to his hair and his tattoos, and the color black. V's shirt is a v-neck (no pun necessary) with half-sleeves, fitting his form. His tattoos, as always, are visible black scrawling lines swirling down his arm, and around his neck.
He follows, slowly, only a step or two behind the other.]
I hadn't realized we were making this a shopping trip, too. Do you intend to wear me out before we reach the apartment?
[with an awkward stumbling of words and a hand placed to the back of his neck in rising embarrassment, prompto slows down a little.]
Sorry. It was just a suggestion. [he's so easily malleable whenever someone expresses discontent or a differing opinion.] You could look around later, or online, too, I guess...
[he trails off, scuffs his shoes on the sidewalk. but not to be deterred, suddenly:] Are you hungry?
[How easily Prompto bends to the question, dressed up like a suggestion. V had only been prodding at the young man's enthusiasm, not necessarily distraught by it the potential of a detour or two.]
I was only joking.
[A whirl of his cane as they walk, a perfect spin before he taps it on the sidewalk again.]
I will need clothes, just as much as I'll need food later. If you want to shop, then let's shop. You did say that you were the citywide expert, didn't you?
[he huffs, annoyed, for a few seconds before swatting at v.]
Some of your jokes don't sound like jokes, okay! [plus, prompto is trying incredibly hard to be liked (even if he might not need it)] I don't wanna come off as obnoxious or anything!
[he already does]
[but his enthusiasm seems to have returned just as easy, apparently used to getting teased like this quite a lot by his older, cooler friends (if the chocobros can be considered cool).]
It'll be quick! Just grab some black clothes. Oh! There's some wristbands I saw at HEMA, so definitely drop by! Hmm... What kinda food do you like? I'm feeling something like chocolate creampuffs. It's not actually chocolate, though, but I mean, it's good enough—
Obnoxious, enthusiastic, talks a hundred miles an hour with no sign of stopping. He wonders if this is how it's always going to be, rooming with Prompto; might as well halt these habits at the root, though it might already be too late.
After he's swatted at, and when the tirade continues, V reaches out to hook the hilt of his cane around Prompto's shoulder, yanking him back. It isn't aggressive, but it might be startling.]
'He whose face gives no light shall never become a star.' As much as this might apply to you, you'll become a supernova, Prompto. But all things in moderation. Let's worry about clothes first, and then food.
[did he just get scolded with a poem?? he did get startled at being yanked back, but it somehow helps cut off his train of thought, grounding him a bit.]
I'm all over the place. Gotta chill. [it's gonna become a mantra] Clothes first, then!
[he's going to also take on these as constructive criticism rather than jump the gun and think he's getting made fun of or otherwise criticized without any chance of redeeming himself.]
It's just— Well! It's my birthday! Which, no big deal, really, but it'd be cool to celebrate a little with indulging! That and your release, of course.
[man, sure sucks being the person who is all 'lol it's my bday but no big deal' how cringe]
[Cane back at his side again, a little bit of "chill" now having been given to the other, V continues their walk. He's apparently here to offer focus, when the other young man derails himself into next week.]
Your birthday?
[Ah. A pause.]
A happy birthday to you, then. How old are you now?
[Ignoring the fact that Prompto is abiding by this world's calendar, despite not lining up with the one back home(??), V is curious.]
[(how sad that it's the first happy birthday he gets all day)]
Thanks! [and for that, prompto's smiling, all enthusiasm and genuine cheer] I'm twenty-one now. I know it's hard to believe that I am, in fact, an adult, but this is now a truth that we must all live with.
[the city is littered with halloween decorations, people walking by with costumes like it's normal, even during the daytime. he turns right, towards a curved path lined up with houses that double as stores.]
It's close to Halloween here, which is pretty cool.
[Not that this detracts from his happy birthday wishes, unknowing that he's the first to bless Prompto with one.]
And being so close to Halloween means that it's the perfect excuse for you to party and drink, isn't that right? [He says it with a knowing grin, which is ironic given V's propensity to... do the opposite.] The holiday runs very long in this world.
[prompto finds himself unbothered by the words, so it's all good.]
Ten days worth of spooky content, I'm not complaining.
[the path here is more of old cobblestone bricks, paved over with an attempt at cement, the older foundations of dry sand a forgotten thing once they got to be filled in with something that would keep the city more steady. in smaller alleyways like this, it paints a more quaint picture of the city—it might also be that they're heading down towards the opening of bloem district, with its many flowers, potted plants, and trees that glow with vibrant colors.]
[pumpkins and candles decorate the windowsills and spaces in between, too. this is probably prompto's favorite part of the city, shaded away from the bright neon lights by houses so old with triangular peaks, it's worth wondering how they didn't succumb to being built over.]
There's a party tomorrow that this guy is throwing for me and another friend. Our birthdays are real close by, so... Do you wanna drop in?
The novelty of the holiday is hard to ignore. It’s one that… stimulates the imagination more than the rest.
[Even as he speaks, he notices how the path seems to slowly transform into something that mixes the past with modernity, or at least an attempt to keep that past from crumbling apart. The little alleyway feels slightly uneven under his step, and even more so when his cane — sometimes clicking against the pavement as they walk — catches against smoothed-over crevices, worn down by time and effort.
In the distance, at the exit of their funneled walk, he thinks he can see the shuddering of tree branches casting a green swath of color against the sky. V’s eyes gravitate towards it, finding the contrast of nature in this mega-metropolitan future somewhat fascinating. Jack-o’-lanterns smile at them as they ease past.]
I’m not usually one for parties. [To say the least, ever the introvert. One-on-one conversations are easy enough, but V finds the attention of strangers, pulling in every direction, utterly exhausting.] I don’t think I’d be very exciting nor very celebratory.
[he stops at the mouth of the alleyway, checks around for hoverbikes, and then walks out into the district proper. the street opens up wider, an actual effort in keeping the place like a sort of modern park an attempt to marry both architecture with nature; a canal streams water under the concrete and steel bridges that hover over it, leaves for the most part swimming on the surface. vines and greenery drop from walls, trees brimming with leaves creating a canopy for most of the walking surface.]
[yeah, definitely prompto's favorite district.]
Not usually, but you could go! Get to meet people and, [steps onto a bench, arms spread to keep his balance, and jumps off on the other end] oh, free food. I heard there's gonna be meat!
[It isn't what he expected, but it's a nice surprise. A marriage of both archecture and greenery, applied in a way that allows the beauty of nature itself to shine on its own. Nothing too finely manicured, nothing too overt with the cultivating touch of man to make it appear clinically perfect.
It's a district that V could come to like, too, after a time.
However, when they reach that bench, V steps around it. Like an adult.]
[prompto pauses mid action in lifting his arms, feeling bad about being the deliverer of bad meat-related news... and then he just lifts them up over and behind his head, waiting for v to catch up before keeping on with this casual, slow stroll.]
Yeah, meat is really hard to get by. This place's a mess in terms of resources, so it's all either very expensive or scarce. Instead of meat, people are using bugs as replacement, or like tofu and stuff. [he's very observant, 'and stuff.'] It's not terrible, but coming from a place where meat was an easy thing to put on the table makes the switch a little more — shocking? Yeah.
[He catches up with a few long strides, cane clicking against the pavement all the while.]
Bugs. A protein supplement.
[He says it casually, but the look on his face reveals his skepticism. It isn't surprising, this far into the future; it wasn't as if mankind took much care of the planet back home, and that a few centuries more they'd be relying on insects for food?
It makes sense, but that doesn't mean he looks forward to it.]
[soon as v catches up, prompto turns on his heels and shrugs.] Bugs are disgusting, but I guess I'm slowly seeing their appeal. So long as they're not trying to get on my face or wriggling about, though.
[something of a full-body shudder, arms pulling down and landing back at his sides. he's kind of walking sideways, keeping on with looking at v as he talks, hands being used animatedly.]
There's no chickens in Eos, so it was wild. Tasted like cockatrice thighs. Oh! This is the Bloem District by the way, there's a thrift store just across from here down that alleyway.
[why is he always so enthused] There's something of a movement to make the city more green and to try to bring back some of the comforts the plants and vegetation bring, cuz... well, everything else is pretty much metal and concrete and plastic. [he keeps on leading the way.] So this district in particular is pretty much all things flowers and plants—
[he points about, at the buildings that have allowed themselves to be taken over by vines and the like]
[Eyes follow that gaze, trailing up to the building lined with vines. Where potted flowers dotted here and there sway in the breeze, bright against the green.
And V begins, as he continues his walk-]
'As I wander'd the forest, The green leaves among, I heard a wild flower Singing a song.
I slept in the Earth In the silent night, I murmur'd my fears And I felt delight.
In the morning I went As rosy as morn, To seek for new joy; But O! met with scorn.'
[A smile, wan but sincere.]
What a life it must be, to be but a wildflower in a city like this. Prized for simply being what it is.
[prompto's silent a while even after v finishes speaking, a feeling running amok within him, unable to quite put down what it is. so—instead!—he smiles and keeps on keeping on.]
Right? I bet.
[he has no idea what to say... just that it was really something hearing v just now.]
The apartment's actually a block away from here, so you'll always end up coming through most days. [it's one of the many reasons why he decided on his current apartment; keep him close to the place he likes the most] You'll find your footing easily enough on where to go!
[they approach a side street with several stores, and prompto heads on forward a bit, and waits for v at the door. he points inside.]
's the clothes store. We'll just have a quick look and pick a few things, okay?
[A quiet spin of his cane, pleased that his memory has not been altered by whatever changes he’s been imbued with in this world. Some things, perhaps, are ingrained deep into one’s core — poetry, an old companion of his since childhood, would certainly qualify.]
Good to know that my usual walk will always be the scenic route.
[A sound of amusement.]
Yes, let’s. The clothes that I was… given recently are rather lacking. [Though beggar’s shouldn’t be choosers. Better than the scrubs any day of the week.] Not much in the way of fashion.
[in they go, then, prompto animatedly showing his resignation by moving his arms about and shrugging—racks of clothing around them denoting different price points and sale discounts on colorful, animated screens.]
Yeah, they're not the best. They're donations so people always just give whatever they think is lame anyway.
[clearly, they're heading for where the colors run darker and prompto's just going to stand on the side making idle commentary.]
Just have a look, I guess? Couple of shirts, couple of pants, whatever.
[engages in an online game so he's not hovering over v's choosing stuff too much. he'll carry stuff if the other gets a little too purchase-friendly.]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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[v seems okay with jokes and the like, so prompto returns the favor, not being too worried about being misunderstood for actually complaining.]
[it won't take him long to reach the safehouse. at this point, he has no intentions of going inside, because that's a little too eager, right?]
i'm outside
lmk when you're ready
[this is the tutorial portion of your NA exploration. please don't spook him]
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Until he comes to a stop next to Prompto, of course, in which the tip of said cane taps against the ground for him to lean against.]
Well. Here I am.
[Dressed plainly, in Morningstar-given clothing; but like before, his color choices all run dark.]
Lead the way.
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You're really into black, huh? You're looking a lot better.
[prompto's more casual today, long sleeves because it has been more chilly out lately. the fact that v has nothing on his back other than his clothes and cane makes it clear that the guy literally has nothing, which should be expected.]
[he starts leading the way, out towards the less busy streets of new amsterdam]
You're gonna need clothes and like a bunch of other things. I got some stuff that one of my friends would wear. It's mostly suits but... could be helpful in a pinch. There's a bunch of thrift stores along the way anyway.
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Why not match the rest of me? [In reference to his hair and his tattoos, and the color black. V's shirt is a v-neck (no pun necessary) with half-sleeves, fitting his form. His tattoos, as always, are visible black scrawling lines swirling down his arm, and around his neck.
He follows, slowly, only a step or two behind the other.]
I hadn't realized we were making this a shopping trip, too. Do you intend to wear me out before we reach the apartment?
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Ah, well...
[with an awkward stumbling of words and a hand placed to the back of his neck in rising embarrassment, prompto slows down a little.]
Sorry. It was just a suggestion. [he's so easily malleable whenever someone expresses discontent or a differing opinion.] You could look around later, or online, too, I guess...
[he trails off, scuffs his shoes on the sidewalk. but not to be deterred, suddenly:] Are you hungry?
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I was only joking.
[A whirl of his cane as they walk, a perfect spin before he taps it on the sidewalk again.]
I will need clothes, just as much as I'll need food later. If you want to shop, then let's shop. You did say that you were the citywide expert, didn't you?
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Some of your jokes don't sound like jokes, okay! [plus, prompto is trying incredibly hard to be liked (even if he might not need it)] I don't wanna come off as obnoxious or anything!
[he already does]
[but his enthusiasm seems to have returned just as easy, apparently used to getting teased like this quite a lot by his older, cooler friends (if the chocobros can be considered cool).]
It'll be quick! Just grab some black clothes. Oh! There's some wristbands I saw at HEMA, so definitely drop by! Hmm... What kinda food do you like? I'm feeling something like chocolate creampuffs. It's not actually chocolate, though, but I mean, it's good enough—
[stop him or he'll continue forevermore]
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Obnoxious, enthusiastic, talks a hundred miles an hour with no sign of stopping. He wonders if this is how it's always going to be, rooming with Prompto; might as well halt these habits at the root, though it might already be too late.
After he's swatted at, and when the tirade continues, V reaches out to hook the hilt of his cane around Prompto's shoulder, yanking him back. It isn't aggressive, but it might be startling.]
'He whose face gives no light shall never become a star.' As much as this might apply to you, you'll become a supernova, Prompto. But all things in moderation. Let's worry about clothes first, and then food.
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[did he just get scolded with a poem?? he did get startled at being yanked back, but it somehow helps cut off his train of thought, grounding him a bit.]
I'm all over the place. Gotta chill. [it's gonna become a mantra] Clothes first, then!
[he's going to also take on these as constructive criticism rather than jump the gun and think he's getting made fun of or otherwise criticized without any chance of redeeming himself.]
It's just— Well! It's my birthday! Which, no big deal, really, but it'd be cool to celebrate a little with indulging! That and your release, of course.
[man, sure sucks being the person who is all 'lol it's my bday but no big deal' how cringe]
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Your birthday?
[Ah. A pause.]
A happy birthday to you, then. How old are you now?
[Ignoring the fact that Prompto is abiding by this world's calendar, despite not lining up with the one back home(??), V is curious.]
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[(how sad that it's the first happy birthday he gets all day)]
Thanks! [and for that, prompto's smiling, all enthusiasm and genuine cheer] I'm twenty-one now. I know it's hard to believe that I am, in fact, an adult, but this is now a truth that we must all live with.
[the city is littered with halloween decorations, people walking by with costumes like it's normal, even during the daytime. he turns right, towards a curved path lined up with houses that double as stores.]
It's close to Halloween here, which is pretty cool.
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[Not that this detracts from his happy birthday wishes, unknowing that he's the first to bless Prompto with one.]
And being so close to Halloween means that it's the perfect excuse for you to party and drink, isn't that right? [He says it with a knowing grin, which is ironic given V's propensity to... do the opposite.] The holiday runs very long in this world.
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Ten days worth of spooky content, I'm not complaining.
[the path here is more of old cobblestone bricks, paved over with an attempt at cement, the older foundations of dry sand a forgotten thing once they got to be filled in with something that would keep the city more steady. in smaller alleyways like this, it paints a more quaint picture of the city—it might also be that they're heading down towards the opening of bloem district, with its many flowers, potted plants, and trees that glow with vibrant colors.]
[pumpkins and candles decorate the windowsills and spaces in between, too. this is probably prompto's favorite part of the city, shaded away from the bright neon lights by houses so old with triangular peaks, it's worth wondering how they didn't succumb to being built over.]
There's a party tomorrow that this guy is throwing for me and another friend. Our birthdays are real close by, so... Do you wanna drop in?
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[Even as he speaks, he notices how the path seems to slowly transform into something that mixes the past with modernity, or at least an attempt to keep that past from crumbling apart. The little alleyway feels slightly uneven under his step, and even more so when his cane — sometimes clicking against the pavement as they walk — catches against smoothed-over crevices, worn down by time and effort.
In the distance, at the exit of their funneled walk, he thinks he can see the shuddering of tree branches casting a green swath of color against the sky. V’s eyes gravitate towards it, finding the contrast of nature in this mega-metropolitan future somewhat fascinating. Jack-o’-lanterns smile at them as they ease past.]
I’m not usually one for parties. [To say the least, ever the introvert. One-on-one conversations are easy enough, but V finds the attention of strangers, pulling in every direction, utterly exhausting.] I don’t think I’d be very exciting nor very celebratory.
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[yeah, definitely prompto's favorite district.]
Not usually, but you could go! Get to meet people and, [steps onto a bench, arms spread to keep his balance, and jumps off on the other end] oh, free food. I heard there's gonna be meat!
[has anyone told v about the bugs yet]
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It's a district that V could come to like, too, after a time.
However, when they reach that bench, V steps around it. Like an adult.]
Meat?
[No, no one told him yet.]
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Yeah, meat is really hard to get by. This place's a mess in terms of resources, so it's all either very expensive or scarce. Instead of meat, people are using bugs as replacement, or like tofu and stuff. [he's very observant, 'and stuff.'] It's not terrible, but coming from a place where meat was an easy thing to put on the table makes the switch a little more — shocking? Yeah.
The chicken is the best one, by the way.
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Bugs. A protein supplement.
[He says it casually, but the look on his face reveals his skepticism. It isn't surprising, this far into the future; it wasn't as if mankind took much care of the planet back home, and that a few centuries more they'd be relying on insects for food?
It makes sense, but that doesn't mean he looks forward to it.]
So you've had chicken, despite all of that?
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[soon as v catches up, prompto turns on his heels and shrugs.] Bugs are disgusting, but I guess I'm slowly seeing their appeal. So long as they're not trying to get on my face or wriggling about, though.
[something of a full-body shudder, arms pulling down and landing back at his sides. he's kind of walking sideways, keeping on with looking at v as he talks, hands being used animatedly.]
There's no chickens in Eos, so it was wild. Tasted like cockatrice thighs. Oh! This is the Bloem District by the way, there's a thrift store just across from here down that alleyway.
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I'm assuming I won't have much of a choice where the bugs are concerned. I'll have to adapt, as always.
[Cockatrice, though? He's about to ask about that when Prompto changes the subject again.]
...I like this district. Not that I've seen much of the city so far, but I'm assuming the flowers are a theme? ["Bloem", after all.]
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[why is he always so enthused] There's something of a movement to make the city more green and to try to bring back some of the comforts the plants and vegetation bring, cuz... well, everything else is pretty much metal and concrete and plastic. [he keeps on leading the way.] So this district in particular is pretty much all things flowers and plants—
[he points about, at the buildings that have allowed themselves to be taken over by vines and the like]
—as you can see.
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And V begins, as he continues his walk-]
'As I wander'd the forest,
The green leaves among,
I heard a wild flower
Singing a song.
I slept in the Earth
In the silent night,
I murmur'd my fears
And I felt delight.
In the morning I went
As rosy as morn,
To seek for new joy;
But O! met with scorn.'
[A smile, wan but sincere.]
What a life it must be, to be but a wildflower in a city like this. Prized for simply being what it is.
yikes prompto is so gay
Right? I bet.
[he has no idea what to say... just that it was really something hearing v just now.]
The apartment's actually a block away from here, so you'll always end up coming through most days. [it's one of the many reasons why he decided on his current apartment; keep him close to the place he likes the most] You'll find your footing easily enough on where to go!
[they approach a side street with several stores, and prompto heads on forward a bit, and waits for v at the door. he points inside.]
's the clothes store. We'll just have a quick look and pick a few things, okay?
gay crisis #18231283
Good to know that my usual walk will always be the scenic route.
[A sound of amusement.]
Yes, let’s. The clothes that I was… given recently are rather lacking. [Though beggar’s shouldn’t be choosers. Better than the scrubs any day of the week.] Not much in the way of fashion.
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Yeah, they're not the best. They're donations so people always just give whatever they think is lame anyway.
[clearly, they're heading for where the colors run darker and prompto's just going to stand on the side making idle commentary.]
Just have a look, I guess? Couple of shirts, couple of pants, whatever.
[engages in an online game so he's not hovering over v's choosing stuff too much. he'll carry stuff if the other gets a little too purchase-friendly.]
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#1 public enemy thread
you love him and his shoes
talk to my lawyer
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