023 » these shallow waters never met what i needed

[shiruyeh]

CALL ME OUT MEME.

♛ please refer to this list for canon muses and this list for original characters. ♛ "call" one of them out — you can do so by putting their name in the subject line of your post! ♛ this can be informal/formal/comment spam/crosscanon/shippy/smutty/whatever tickles your fancy! ♛ here are some prompts inspired by other memes! ❶ — texts from last night. ❷ — morning after. ❸ — drunk/drinking. ❹ — picture prompt. ❺ — insomnia. ❻ — sharing the same bed. ❼ — snow day. ❽ — sky gazing. ❾ — roadtrip.

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[inlay]

[prompto pauses for a fraction of a moment before rattling off his friends' names without hesitation.]

I'm looking for, uh... Noctis, Ignis, and Gladio — well, that's Gladiolus, but everyone just calls him Gladio. Don't suppose they've made names for themselves already?

[it's dangerous to talk too much about oneself, prompto knows. nevertheless, they're not princes or fugitives here, he figures, unless noctis has already managed to offend someone somewhere. he rubs his hands on his jeans as he walks over roots, rocks, grasses, and dirt. some lumbering treants in the distance catch his eye, and he stares at them like he's never seen anything like them before (in a way, he hasn't).]

[azeymarose]

Those aren't names I'm familiar with, no. [Right now, Coeleste is certain this Prompto is feeding her a very long yarn half-plied with lies. Maybe more than half. She follows his gaze to the treants, their branched heads visible even in the mist. The sound of their footfalls crunching leaves and twigs is blunted, too.]

They may look threatening, but most varieties of treant in this area mind their manners so long as you mind yours. You need only ware the largest. [His awe and fear is a bit amusing. She's sure she looked at these things in just such a way once.]

Someone will be able to get you sorted. It isn't much farther to- [That wasn't the sound of a seedkin's footstep. Coel keeps moving, but lowers her voice and slows her steps.] We'll be there soon.

[inlay]

[prompto, being prompto, does not pick up on the need for stealth; he continues to talk loudly, perfectly relaxed, like this is just some jaunty walk through the woods.]

Yeah? Well, that's probably for the best. ...Hey, what do you mean, "someone will get me sorted?" Are you just gonna ditch me there? [guest characters don't normally leave your party that soon, come on.] I mean, okay, you can ditch me there if you have to. I won't be offended. It's just, uh, you know...

[azeymarose]

[In the interest of their safety, she turns to face him directly and puts two fingers over her lips. He can keep talking, but quieter, please.]

I've no intention of...leaving you to yourself if you would rather otherwise, but. [A tug and twist and the bow comes off her back and into her hand.] As I do not know your friends. [Then an arrow into the other, a swift draw and she turns and aims into the fog behind Prompto.] I don't know as I'd be much help on my own, either.

[And- fires! Somewhere nearby a diremite's screech and scrabbling feet echo. She didn't pick it out with sound alone, though. If Prompto turns fast enough, he'll see the glow of its eyes fade as well.]

Gridanians have a tendency toward their own, rather than outsiders, including the adventurers they hire to carry out their errands. You may encounter some resistance even if they have heard of your friends.

[inlay]

[prompto stops completely at the sudden diremite kill, mostly because of a mixture of such scintillating thoughts as wow that sure was an arrow flying over his shoulder and wow this elf lady is really cool. he looks over his shoulder at the dead spider, then turns back, grinning wildly through the mist.]

— That was so cool! [he practically leaps forward out of excitement.] Wait, wait, could you teach me to do that? I know it's not the same thing, but I'm a pretty good shot!

[azeymarose]

[At his sudden move forward, Coeleste takes a stutter-step back. He's...certainly energetic. And beaming far wider than he ought, it was a clean shot and out of necessity with a bit more flair than she prefers but really- ]

Teach you? [She doesn't sound affronted. It's more like she isn't sure she heard him properly.] Archery? I...

[She has tried her hand at the machinist's trade, courtesy of some Ishgardian friends, but while she can see and aim at a very distant target, the experience of shooting is wholly different, and the residual embarrassment colors her cheeks. But the diremite put her on edge and her nerves are still at attention, as they will remain until they get somewhere a touch less exposed. Coeleste opts to keep her bow in her hand for now. Just in case.]

Might we...discuss that once we're arrived?

[inlay]

Oh! Yeah, yeah. It's chill. No worries.

[prompto practically skips along the forest floor after coeleste, which is quite the feat considering that the forest floor is not a particularly even surface. north shroud is scenic, at least when the diremites aren't around to obstruct the view; he thinks about taking some pictures. he's not worried about his life in the least. oh, it'd be nice to have his friends around, of course, but heroic adventures never end this early. surely this pretty elf lady will keep him safe a little while longer!]

[azeymarose]

[Good, perhaps that put him off the trail for a time. She watches their environment with her free hand at the ready to draw if necessary. Leading Prompto along is like dangling a chocobo chick at the end of a lead for curious predators. ...At least, it feels like that. He has a freshness and unchecked energy to him that suggest he'll dart off after a nutkin or ladybug at the slightest provocation.

Not to mention he keeps leaving the ground in little skip hops. He's certainly of a manner unlike to any marksman she has known before.]

If you're cold, you might be able to find a cloak or coat against the mist in Fallgourd. [He's wiry and light-framed for a Hyur but so are many merchants and porters.]

[inlay]

Uh, that's not what I meant by chill, but...

[he shrugs his sleeveless shoulders, then tucks his arms behind his head.]

Well, I guess it is kind of cold. And I bet I'd look pretty good with a cloak, huh? Fancy. Ah, but I guess a small town wouldn't have fancy stuff. Gotta start at level one.

[whatever level one is, it doesn't stay on his mind for long as the gates of fallgourd come into view. he squints in the mist.]

Is that it?

[azeymarose]

That's it. [At this distance she feels safe putting away the arrow and settling the bow across her back again. Fallgourd is most impressive in the noon sunlight, alas.

As they pass by the guards on this side, Coel gets and returns silent nods. The aetheryte has a very small crowd, a few injured wailers sitting about while their healers or friends tend to them speckled between the usual merchants and sightseers. They round it - she'll slow down if Prompto seems keen on taking in the sights, such as they are - and head for the Bobbing Cork. An enthusiastic woman at an outdoor anvil nearby waves and calls her name.

Despite the wave back, Coel ducks her head to hide a momentary smile. The Ixal may have just attacked but casualties were few and things seem peaceful again already. At once she seems to remember Prompto is there, looking over at him.]

It's a bit hard to get lost here. [Since the settlement is ... small.] This building houses what few overnight guests it can, and the tavern is over there.

[There's a kind of slant to how she says 'tavern' because it's ... not, quite, but it serves the right purpose.]