Prompto Argentum (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
chocobobutt) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
dollymixtures2023-01-21 12:57 am
chocobobutt) wrote in dollymixtures2023-01-21 12:57 am
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More than ones and zeros (Prompto and Cor)
They'd told him he was faulty.
Well, that's not strictly true, other people had been told he was faulty and that he wasn't suitable for combat (even though his shooting was excellent), but he'd been there at the time and that sort of counted - at least, it was the only way he was ever told anything, anyway.
They'd said he was to be decommissioned. He didn't know what decommissioned was, but he knew it was something a trooper didn't come back from. There were a lot of things a trooper didn't come back from, though, so at least he didn't know enough to be scared. Mostly, he was curious.
Maybe that was the problem. None of the others seemed to ever be curious. He was just supposed to follow orders, he wasn't supposed to know what why meant, let alone ask it.
It had been easier, before, being raised the same as all the others, given the same instructions. None of the others had talked, so he didn't either - but he did listen. He listened, and he learned - not much, just bits and pieces here and there, things that meant nothing to him and things that sounded interesting. Anything from state secrets to petty dramas between colleagues, and he didn't know one from the other truth be told, didn't know enough about the world to slot any of it into places that fit - he just liked to hear people talk. It made him feel less... lonely.
Another problem. He never realised he wasn't meant to feel anything at all.
Whatever decommissioning was or wasn't, he never had the chance to find out, though, because while he was being transported from one end of the facility to the other, the vehicle carrying him was hijacked. He didn't know it at the time - his armour had been deactivated, rendering him practically blind and barely able to move, and all he could hear was the sounds of a fight and then the vehicle was moving again - and it seemed like it was going much, much further than just the other end of the facility...
After a long journey and some disorienting moves, he becomes aware that someone is activating the release catches on his helmet, and he barely has chance to react before he's wincing at the sudden flood of painfully bright light (it's not overly bright, it just seems it after so long in darkness) - followed immediately by an uncomfortably loud clatter as whoever removed his helmet drops it.
"Holy shit." somebody in front of him breathes, as he's still trying to adjust to the light.
Well, that's not strictly true, other people had been told he was faulty and that he wasn't suitable for combat (even though his shooting was excellent), but he'd been there at the time and that sort of counted - at least, it was the only way he was ever told anything, anyway.
They'd said he was to be decommissioned. He didn't know what decommissioned was, but he knew it was something a trooper didn't come back from. There were a lot of things a trooper didn't come back from, though, so at least he didn't know enough to be scared. Mostly, he was curious.
Maybe that was the problem. None of the others seemed to ever be curious. He was just supposed to follow orders, he wasn't supposed to know what why meant, let alone ask it.
It had been easier, before, being raised the same as all the others, given the same instructions. None of the others had talked, so he didn't either - but he did listen. He listened, and he learned - not much, just bits and pieces here and there, things that meant nothing to him and things that sounded interesting. Anything from state secrets to petty dramas between colleagues, and he didn't know one from the other truth be told, didn't know enough about the world to slot any of it into places that fit - he just liked to hear people talk. It made him feel less... lonely.
Another problem. He never realised he wasn't meant to feel anything at all.
Whatever decommissioning was or wasn't, he never had the chance to find out, though, because while he was being transported from one end of the facility to the other, the vehicle carrying him was hijacked. He didn't know it at the time - his armour had been deactivated, rendering him practically blind and barely able to move, and all he could hear was the sounds of a fight and then the vehicle was moving again - and it seemed like it was going much, much further than just the other end of the facility...
After a long journey and some disorienting moves, he becomes aware that someone is activating the release catches on his helmet, and he barely has chance to react before he's wincing at the sudden flood of painfully bright light (it's not overly bright, it just seems it after so long in darkness) - followed immediately by an uncomfortably loud clatter as whoever removed his helmet drops it.
"Holy shit." somebody in front of him breathes, as he's still trying to adjust to the light.
"Get... get Marshal Leonis. He should see this."
no subject
But Cor noticed how he was scaring the female scientist with that look of quiet fury on his face, so he takes a moment of deep breathing to get himself back under control. "...duly noted," he coolly mutters. "Thank you." He takes another deep breath to make himself calm enough to speak to the blonde normally.
"Alright, so we will have you staying with me until further orders come in. While you're with me, I will do my best to help acclimate you into this next stage of your life. That includes learning how to consume food like a normal person does. Any questions before we get started?"
<3 <3
The young man just stares at him with slightly wide eyes - questions? That was even stranger than the man talking to him, or volunteering information instead of orders, the very idea of him being able to ask questions was so alien that for a long second any questions he might have had disappear entirely from his head in the face of his blank confusion.
He opens his mouth to try and find something - an answer is expected of him, right? - but there's just so much he doesn't know that he doesn't even know where to begin, so after a moment he closes it again and just shakes his head mutely.
He'd think it was ironic that a unit declared faulty for being curious suddenly finds himself without any questions to ask, if he knew what irony was.
"Marshal Leonis?" Another voice interrupts politely "We found these, they should fit..."
The bundle of clothing being offered to Cor is fairly basic, just some boxers, sweats and a t-shirt, whatever they could scrounge from the lockers of whichever scientists were about the same size as the trooper. There's a pair of basic slippers, too - they're not ideal, but it means he'll at least have something on his feet.