heavyhead | this is an open post and this image is the prompt

[what the for-real fuck

It's not enough that they're stuck in tents tonight, lurking creatures and all, but something has to appear out of thin air when Noct stumbles a safe distance from the camp to answer the call of nature. Truly, the life of a king is glamorous. Thankfully his business is done when he's startled fully awake by something popping out of nowhere, although the next realization that this something is actually someone and he is talking doesn't help Noctis understand what's going on here.

Is he... still asleep? What the hell? Was this guy there the whole time??]

What are you talking about? [wait, prioritize,] No— who are you?

I see. It must be as startling for you as it is for me, is that right? For me to appear out of nowhere, like I've fallen from my nap and into this strange world out of nowhere, it's strange, isn't it?

[He talks too much. He's not even going to comment on what Noct might be doing out in the bushes like this, but he steps a little closer, lowering his tea from his own lips and gesturing at his chest with his free hand.]

My name is Eichi Tenshouin. Who might you be? [He doesn't know......] Or perhaps the better question is "where is this?"

[This is probably a bad dream. There's no other explanation for why a guy doing a terrible Ignis impression would be appearing in the bushes in the middle of the night. Noctis takes a step back automatically, not summoning a weapon but definitely on edge enough to if he must. If he has to attack this... weird guy with tea.]

It's... just a campsite. [Eichi Tenshouin is a weird name, but so is like, Monica, so this tells Noctis nothing!! He falters, since he's supposed to be lying low despite never actually putting on anything that hides his identity but whatever, so,] I'm—my name's Noct. Just Noct.

[fucking perfect]

What's with the cup?

[Eichi is honestly thinking the same. When a guy named Noct is just hanging out in the middle of the night in some bushes, it's suspect. But he has to chuckle, lifting the cup back to his own lips to take another sip.]

I was in the middle of tea time. It's earl gray. [He stops his walking once it seems to make Noct nervous, taking the time to glance around the area, instead. He doesn't recognize it at all... He sure is just a frail kid that came out of nowhere.]

If my doctor knew I was out camping, he'd be furious. Not to mention, I'm not meant for scenes like this... [He reaches into his pocket to pull out his cell phone, checking it, but there doesn't seem to be any signal.] It looks as though I'm stuck here with you, Noct. ♪

[um]

... Okay. [He's still being way too casual for someone who came out of nowhere in the middle of the night, but he doesn't give off the same blatantly bad guy vibes as some people Noctis could do without, so maybe this Eichi guy is just... actually weird? He is drinking tea and talking too much in the middle of the night.] Um.

[There is a significant pause. Someone please wake up and save him.]

Do you need to make a call? You can borrow mine.

[His phone doesn't say SUPER TRUE KING OF KINGS on it, so that should be safe, right? Here, he'll take out his phone and hold it out, hesitantly.]

Oh, are you getting signal?

[Curious, Eichi steps right on over and reaches to take the phone with his left hand, passing his teacup over with the right.] Could you hold this for a moment? Let's see...

[He dials the number, waits... It rings and then goes to a "number not in service" type message. Eichi tries this a few times, eyebrows furrowing more each time he does, and eventually he holds it back out to Noctis.] I can't seem to get through.

[His eyes trail back, behind Noct and to the tents and campfire that's still going... There are belongings for multiple people, but he doesn't hear any movement noises, see any silhouettes in the tents, or anything.] What was it that they said could test if you're dreaming...?

Uh—sure? [And now he's holding this teacup, alright. It's not the weirdest thing a complete stranger has asked him to do, at least. But it looks like Eichi's phone calls aren't working out for him, which probably makes him suspicious, and Noct wants his phone back.

He glances over his shoulder in turn, following Eichi's gaze back to the tents. He's not inviting anybody to sleep over, if that's what his angle is—oh, it's not.]

Getting pun—pinched? [noctis is a good friend pass it on] You could probably just stick your finger in your tea and see what happens.

[Why would he ruin a perfectly good cup of tea like that?? Eichi gives Noct a look for it before reaching to pinch himself, and one eye closes at the pain. He really pinched himself harder than he needed to, there.]

Hmm, that's odd. [What the actual fuck is going on. Now that it's not a cool, pretty dream, there's actual worry, and his composure is at risk. He has to appear elegant and in control!! How can he do that like this? Noct is still holding his tea, but now Eichi reaches to pass his own cell phone over to him, as well.]

Do you have any better luck with this? [His very 2015 Japanese cell phone...] I wonder if I look around if I might find anything that can get me back? If I'm so lost for a short time, it might be a fun adventure, but if I'm gone for much longer than a few hours, I'll grow worried about everything I left behind. I've left enough work to Keito already.

[There's always the chance that Noctis is still unconscious and never got to pee, but he's being handed the wrong phone too and now he has no hands left to check. Great!! Just great.]

What kind of phone is this? [No wonder he has no signal?? It's not going to magically work just because Noctis is fiddling with it one-handed (will he drop it? stay tuned), so instead... ugh.]

Look, mystery-solving isn't really my thing, but if you need some help looking around...

It's the newest [Insert rip off iPhone name here.] that I purchased not too long ago.

[But more importantly, he moves back over to Noct and plucks that tea right out of his hand with a hopeful stare.] You're volunteering? How kind of you. Fufu, I'm so relieved that I feel as though I could die right here.

I'm not familiar with this place at all, but there must be some sign of how I got here.

[Is he fever walking around? Who knows, but he'll set his teacup gently on the ground and leave Noct with his phone as he turns back to inspect the grass.]

[Oh boy, here he goes... Noctis just sort of grunt-hums at him to acknowledge that, yes, he's accepted this quest. It takes him a moment of just witnessing Eichi wander away to look at grass before he sighs, shoving Eichi's phone in his pocket with one hand and the branches of this bush aside with the other, to climb his way through so he can... help.

Somehow. He's not going to stare at the grass until somebody promises him some nice rocks or something, but he will stand there with his hands on his hips and watch.]

So... we're just going to look at the ground a lot?

Edited (shoving the bus. i wondered, and there were bus) 2017-04-12 04:35 (UTC)

[Noctis' nice phone goes right in Eichi's pocket as well, as if he's forgotten. He's busy moving to peek behind other trees and glance at the ground. He doesn't actually put much effort into this at all. He's not the one who does things like this... Normally Wataru or Yuzuru will be there to help him out with it, instead.

Eventually, he glances over to Noct like he's wondering why he's not doing more.]

I appeared about here, didn't I? I was thinking that perhaps there might be some sort of clue, or something like that. You know, like a detective film, or a crime novel. [He's comparing this to a crime, yes.]

Honestly, it's just that I can't think of anything else to do, and keeping myself active like this eases my mind a bit.

You don't have to tell me that. [Now it's confirmed (more than it already was) that this is bullshit, and yet, this is what makes him actually stop standing around and crouch down to look at the area. Somehow. He's the one with a flashlight stuck to his body all the time, so he has that advantage among others over this guy peeking at trees.

Noctis spends about a third of his "investigating" time just watching Eichi and wondering what he thinks he's pretending to accomplish, but look, he's flicking a couple rocks around and stuff. Within minutes he's given up on this fake investigation, but he did agree to this...]

Okay, this is getting us nowhere. Why don't we start over? Where are you supposed to be?

[It really is getting them nowhere. Sigh. He was hoping it would calm his nerves, but he's even more worried now. He has precious little time with his life, what is he doing out here without any of the other idols? Frowning to himself, he stands up straight and brings a hand to his chin, curling loosely before he turns around to face Noct at the question.]

Yumenosaki Academy. [But that might be too direct, when he doesn't recognize this place at all. This much forest can't be near the Academy... There's just city and beach in the immediate area.] Or is that too detailed? Maybe I can say "Japan," if I'm as far away as I feel.

[okay cool, that's fake]

Where's that supposed to be? We're a day or two outside Lestallum, out here.

[Which is as unhelpful to Eichi as "Japan" was to Noctis, he figures, but what else is he supposed to say? He picks at a couple blades of grass, thinking.]

Are you sure? [yes that's good, keep that up]

Lestallum? Is that in Europe?

[How far is he... What is going on? He looks completely confused, for once unable to hide it as he drops his hand away from his chin.] The last time I checked, I can remember my own home. My uniform says it here, you know.

[He points out the Yumenosaki Academy emblem on his jacket. See!!!]

I don't know what Europe is or that thing on your jacket.

[But rest assured, he does stand up and adjust his flashlight so he can point it right at Eichi for a second there, so he can see the emblem. Just a second. Give him his phone back.]

There aren't any academies this far from the capital, anyway.

Even if I was thinking a lot of Alice in Wonderland, I didn't expect to actually be out of my world. If you're playing a trick on me, that's not very nice at all. I have a weak heart, you know? Be gentle. ♪

[He's playing along casually, but there are signs cracking through that he's actually nervous. What!! Is going on!! His smile is a little strained, for example, and he keeps moving to pace a few steps, stop, and then pace again. He still has Noctis' phone.]

[What does he do with this crazy boy who came out of the sky or whatever? Noctis isn't equipped for this. He can barely handle his actual friends having miniature breakdowns... argh.]

Look, it's— it'll be fine, alright? Calm down. [elegant, noct] There's... gotta be a way to figure this out.

Do I not seem calm already? Ah, that's a shame. If you can tell, then I'm slipping indeed. I should be more careful, if I want to keep up my appearance...

[He stops his pacing, at least, even if he goes on smiling like it might break at any point. He's!! So!! Calm!!] It may be something where we can't focus on the "why" or "how," but instead move along as if things are normal.

[Somebody please help Noctis. Crisis management is also not his thing... He frowns, brow furrowing at the idea of moving along as if things are normal. There's no way he can just bring this guy into the group, but maybe they can... give him a ride to Lestallum? Let him figure things out from there?

He sighs, crossing his arms and looking down for a moment. Why couldn't this have happened to Ignis, Ignis would know what to do!!]

That's your plan? [...] I guess we can give you a ride to town. Tomorrow. [he doesn't need group permission, he's the king,]

A town that I don't recognize? As much as I appreciate your effort, I don't see how that would be of much help at all.

[Says the guy with no ideas, but he can't help but point that out. Don't DITCH him?? His credit cards won't even work here!! And now, the night air is getting to him, and he crosses his arms after letting out a soft couple of coughs.]

That also doesn't give me much choice for what to do until morning. I was born with this weak body, you know? If you leave me out in the cold until the sun rises, I'll be one with the dirt and soil.

[Wow, rude. Noctis just gives him a look and sighs again, like come on, what is he supposed to do?? He was just trying to wander around in the middle of the night and he got roped into this mess.]

Seriously? [He asks, like it's an inconvenience. It's just because he's morally obligated to then do what he is about to do, which is already ruining his evening,] Fine, you can... share with me. Quietly.

Would you be so kind as to share with me? Thank you, Noct. Fufu, I'm not often told that I'm a loud person, but are you trying to say that I am?

[Rude, he's very quiet. In like, the softspoken sort of way, at least. It's true that he never shuts up.] How interesting. I promise that I won't take up much space at all, since I'm used to sleeping in hospital beds while attached to various machines.

Attached to machines? [If he stutters a little on that, don't worry, he's just uncomfortable trying to say anything useful to this sick boy who suffers constantly.] Um... okay.

Just come on. Might as well get this over with. [He'll lead the way back through... or maybe around these bushes, since Eichi will probably get caught in there and die if he tries to go through.

I guess for the purposes of not waking up the whole crew there's more than one tent this time, and Noctis will stoop down and duck into the right one without any further comment. Come on... welcome to Hotel Zzzz. There's almost room in here for two people who aren't skinny dudes.]

classy reply by me

beautiful

looks to the sky

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