Week 3

[airlockedmods]

Week 3

[Two weeks in, and all at once four people are dead. Chitose, Miki, Lucina, and Tsurugi - whatever the circumstances, however any of you may feel, their rooms are just as empty at the end of the week. If you check your P.I.P.s, you'll find that their pictures on the profile page have gone monochrome.

C.E.C.E.'s morning announcement comes like clockwork on Sunday. This time, though, there's an addendum to her usual message:]

Congratulations, Champions! By surviving your first trial, you have unlocked the second floor of the ship. A new mini map has been added to your P.I.P.! To access the second floor please stand on the teleporter and select the floor you wish to be teleported to.

[In addition to the new floor, the Champions will find that they've gained another memory this week.]


Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday



(( Welcome to Week 3! Don't forget to check in and submit your memory regains! Turn in your benefactor threads for sweet loot, too! ))

Comments

[theundertaken]

[oh my god]

C'mon. Everybody here loves you, y'know? [He reaches up to ruffle Prompto's hair.] Me and Roxy were just talking about how we think a roadtrip with you sounds super cool. Even if there's meteor gods, I mean nothing's perfect. You...

[Lucina should be here.]

You're a good person. You bring people up.

[photoshooter]

[After a moment, Prompto finally lifts his head, red-eyed and miserable but listening, truly.]

Me? But I... I just joke to hide from the scary stuff, I don't really...

[He's not Noct, or Iggy, or Gladio. He can't be good like they are.]

[theundertaken]

[Just for that, Iggy and Gladio are also in the dick club. Max sits back to better look Prompto in the eye, though he keeps a hand on his shoulder.]

Dude, you don't gotta be totally not scared of anything to help people out. We all just...I dunno, we all just do the best we can for each other. And you do plenty of good.

[photoshooter]

['Think what you will. But I think you're good enough for me.'

Prompto blinks his wet eyes, then breathes out and drops his chin a little, tugging at the wristbands he made out of Chloe's ruined sleeves.]

...I don't know. I--I hear you, but I... I can't stop thinking about how...

[After a moment, he presses his lips together and finds himself unable to go on. How All Of That, really. Gestures wordlessly at the first half of Episode Prompto.]

Is that enough? T-to... [To earn his place at their side. To make his existence worth the horror that enabled it?] In a situation like this, is... is that any good at all?

[theundertaken]

'Course it is, bud.

[It better be good for something, or Max himself is equally shit out of luck.]

In here, pretty much all we've got is trying to keep spirits up, you know? It's all...just gonna be worse if we give up. [Not like it hasn't been bad enough already. But he stands by that. They have to try to protect what's left.] We'd all be worse off without you.

[photoshooter]

[For a while, he just lets that percolate through him, seeing how it sounds. He still feels... wrong, bad. If he could strip his whole body away and chuck it out the airlock, maybe he would, even if all that'd be left was a scared, naked ghost. It's the only way he can imagine ever feeling clean. He wraps his hand around that ugly, cruel bar code on his wrist.

Eventually, he breathes out shakily and leans against Max again, resting his head on a lanky shoulder.]

You're too good to me, man.

[For a whole week, Prompto's just been an endless drag.]

[theundertaken]

[Max huffs out a breath, putting an arm around Prompto and resting his hand on his blanket-covered shoulder. He feels exhausted, but...this is good. Not great, but getting better, he thinks.]

I'm exactly good enough. You deserve people looking out for you.

[photoshooter]

['I'm a Lucian! I am not one of your experiments!'

'Not anymore. Now you're nothing but a failure. I ought to return you whence you came; perhaps then you might serve some useful purpose.'

Prompto shivers helplessly and doesn't argue.]

G...guess it's nice to hear a second opinion.

[He draws his legs up onto the bed, curling into a little ball, tucked as he is under Max's arm.]

I can't--can't come out today. Um... can you tell everyone I'm sick or something?

[theundertaken]

[God, poor kid. Prompto's like twenty, but Max just wants to gather him up like a little kid who had a nightmare.]

You got it. That's probably gonna make them wanna check in on you, though - is that fine, or do you want me to make something up to keep them out?

[photoshooter]

Ghh... [Darn these people and their wonderful, well-meaning hearts.] Tell them I'm sleeping?

[theundertaken]

[Max pats Prompto's hair, just because it sort of seems like it needs doing.]

Sure. I'll ward 'em off. You gonna get a little sleep for real?

[photoshooter]

[Such a kind, gentle touch. It feels like it's been years since the last time. Prompto peeks at Max over his arm, then nods wearily.]

Yeah. I'm... I'm pretty tired. I'll try.

[It'll be nothing but nightmares, he's sure, but he has no strength for anything else.]

...Thank you, Max.

[theundertaken]

...yeah, sure. You're welcome, Prompto.

[He smiles, giving him one last hair ruffle, and stands to go.] Have a good sleep. I'm right down the hall if you need anything.

[photoshooter]

[The last hair ruffle tugs a frail, phantom smile out of him. Only Max. Where would Prompto even be without Max to bring him back up?]

You're the best, dude. Don't let anyone tell you different.

[theundertaken]

[Max turns back, smiling.]

Awww, you too, man. Get some rest. [He'll flick the lights off before he goes out.]