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The Photo Hut - Tuesday

The drinking the night before had been a terrible idea, which Liz had known and went along with anyway because she thought maybe that it might have made her feel better or made her feel anything at all and all it had done was made her feel worse because she had spent half the early morning throwing up. It was a combination of the drinking plus the last few days of being in shock on repeat and it had caught up to her.

At first she hadn’t realised the time loop had broken and had gone downstairs to open the Photo Hut as a means for something to do and when she checked her phone and her computer, she noticed that it was Tuesday …

It was Tuesday… so that made her start crying hysterically again, they weren’t in the time loop now … if she were to have another episode now … it would be permanent… everyone who listened to radio now would know what she’d done and they would remember … they would know how dangerous she was … and she knew she wasn’t the picture of emotional stability right now so if they put two and two together …

She took several deep breaths as she tried to control her crying, half collapsing into a sitting position with her back against the front of the counter. She knew she should really call Dr. Lecter or even go to the clinic, that it wasn’t healthy for her to be in this state but she couldn’t think straight - her mind was too confused by the events of the last few days and -

She would get up in a moment but for now she was just going to sit with her arms around her knees and rock back and forward, sobbing into her knees.

[The Photo Hut is so very open!]

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So. The time loop was finally broken, and the island seemed to have caught up, but that meant that they'd lost about four days, and Gladio and Ignis were definitely not happy about that. So Prompto knew that, when they left for Insomnia finally, like they should have done way earlier, they were definitely going to be staying there until probably the welcome picnic for the new semester.

But there was no way he was leaving for that long without stopping to try and talk to Liz first. Especially since it was tearing him up that he really did need to leave for so long after all that had happened, but...he did have a duty. And he hated to admit it, but Gladio was right. Noctis. Insomnia. Lucis. They had to come first.

They went ahead without him, and he went over to the Photo Hut, feeling relieved when he tried the door to find it open as he stepped inside and looked around, frowning when he didn't really see her at first, curled up in front of the counter as she ~~presumably still~~ was.

"...Liz?" he called out, uncertainty in his voice.

[[ and now, hopefully, with significantly less getting eaten by real life! ]]

At first Liz didn’t even register that someone had come into the store, her face was still buried into her knees from where she was curled up on the ground.

She then heard Prompto’s voice calling her name and she forced herself to look up, face pale and tear stained, “I’m here,” she trembled, sniffling and then another sob escaped.

It was much easier to spot her there with the soft sound of her voice and the paleness of her face lifted, and Prompto hesitated for a moment before approaching, kneeling down beside her. Offering a sympathetic, already-apologetic look and cautiously lifting a hand to gently place on her shoulder.

"...hey."

“Hey…” she tried to focus on her breathing like Doctor Lecter had instructed the other day but she was finding it difficult to control and it kept shaking.

She tried to think of something else to say, anything …

”I …” that was as far as she got and was silent again, tears streaming down her cheeks as she kept hugging her knees tightly.

Even though he'd spent all day pretty much thinking about everything that happened and what he could possibly do to help Liz getting through all of this, Prompto found it was even more difficult and awkward than he expected. But, still...he was there, and, even though he suddenly couldn't remember hardly any of the thing he'd thought to say right now, he hoped his hand now gently rubbing her shoulder helped...instead of just making everything worse.

He then looked at her tear-stained face, wished he could be better at this sort of thing, leaned over to kiss her forehead, and then settled back, hoping he wasn't about to just screw up everything.

"Did I ever tell you," he started, "about the time I unleashed a bunch of vampires on the island and turned pretty much half the population into blood-thirsty fiends trying to eat each other?"

Which was a hell of an opening, he knew, but he was going somewhere with it!

Liz closed her eyes as Prompto’s hand rubbed her shoulder, she found it calming and her breathing became more steady.

She looked back at him, blinking back tears, whatever she had been expecting Prompto to say, it certainly hadn’t been that, “…n-no?” she managed to stammer.

Prompto nodded a little; that reaction, at least, he pretty much expected, and, if anything, maybe it managed to distract her for the briefest of moments.

"Yeah," he continued, "it was real bad. Back when I was a student. It wasn't just me, it was me and my friend Norman, we noticed there was this weird dome thing over the island? And we got a bad feeling about it, so we tried to get rid of it with magic. I mean, I really should have known better--Insomnia's protected by a giant magical dome, too! I don't know what I was thinking, but we got rid of the dome, and...well...."

He swallowed a little bit, because it was still hard to talk about it, even after all this time.

"Turns out, it was protecting Fandom, too. And that meant the vampires got in. And they got so many people, even my best friends, and it was terrible, and all my fault..."

Well, his and Norman's.

But he trailed off, to cautiously take in her reaction, to see if maybe Liz could see where he was going with this, or to see if he was actually way off and just rambling in a desperate attempt to relate to her experiences...

“Oh, “ Liz said quietly as she listened to Prompto’s story, “you couldn’t have known that it would have happened, it …it was an accident,”

She glanced down, “I …I’m sorry that happened to you,” she said quietly and glanced back up at him, “that…that must have been really hard to go through,”

She was tempted to ask if people had known at the time and how he’d gotten through that but she was scared of his answer and what it would mean for her over the next few days and weeks.

Prompto gave Liz a soft smile, sort of wondering if she was really hearing what she wa saying and realizing that those were all the things he wanted to say to her, but that he felt would just sound sort of empty, coming from him, all things considered.

"It was," he said. "Nina was so mad at me, I don't think she talked to me for a full week straight, if not longer. But honestly, at this point?" And here he looked at her hoping to convey that this was one of the important parts, the parts where he wasn't really just talking about himself here, and he added to the weight of it by reaching over for that now familiar gesture of brushing back some of those tears with his thumb. "I'm not even sure most people even remember it anymore. Or, if they do, they definitely don't act like they hold it against me. Or even really blame me anymore...

"There's a lot of crazy shit that happens here, Liz," he added, in case that was all just too subtle and obtuse. "A lot of it bad sometimes. But people here understand a lot. And they can be forgiving. Just like...like your friends, back home..."

Somewhere a part of her had made that connection but her mind was still too confused by everything that had happened and what hadn’t happened.

She closed her eyes as he brushed away those tears.

“I’m scared,” she finally admitted, opening her eyes again and trembled, “it…what if it happens again …it would be permanent like…” all those other deaths, she wanted to say but couldn’t.

“I …I could hurt you,” she forced herself to look up at him, “or…or worse,” that was something that she was terrified of.

It probably wasn't exactly the best time for Prompto's particular brand of self-flagellation humor, but he really couldn't help himself as he breathed out a faint, wry huff of air and said, "You'd probably be doing me a favor."

But he smiled a little to show Liz that he was (mostly) joking, and, even though he'd gotten most of the tears that had been there, brushed his thumb against her cheek again. "I know you're scared," he acknowledged. "I...can't really blame you. But that just...that just means we'll have to work on it, right? So that it doesn't happen again. And if it does..."

As soon as those words left his mouth, he regretted it, because he really didn't have anything good to follow that up with and he struggled a little before all he could manage was, "then we'll just figure it out then...."

And hope maybe they were still lucky that it could be fixed...

“What about …what about Gladio?” she finally dared to ask because if there was someone who was going to have a problem with this ..with her …well…

“I …I have a …” she stammered, “I have a lot of issues,” that was a bit of an understatement there Liz, “I ..I’m trying to - to work through them but I’m going to have …bad days, really bad days,” she figured Prompto would have already guessed that considering how she had been recently and how she was today.

She stared down at her knees where she still had her arms wrapped around them.

“I …it’s …I know I haven’t made a good impression on him,” she said softly, “he really won’t like me now…will he?” it ended up being more of a question than she intended. “I don’t want to make things more awkward for you,”

Despite himself and his efforts to be a more calming presence for Liz right now, Prompto couldn't help a small scoff of irritation at that. "Who cares about what Gladio thinks?" he said. "You know what? I don't even think he really likes me all that much. There's some times when I don't even think he really likes Noctis. He's just a hardass with an inflated ego just because he's bloodbound to be Shield of the King, like he did anything to earn it other than being born..."

But he caught himself in that little rant and shook his head as if to clear that all away. "Seriously, though," he added, "if he's going to make a big deal out of it, that's his problem, not yours. You....you have enough to worry about, without adding him to the list."

Liz nodded slowly, even though the idea of having to deal with Gladio kind of terrified her. She supposed their paths would have to cross again one day, it was a small island … still, confrontation was not one of her strong suits.

“O..okay,” she breathed out, “I’ll try …to …keep that in mind,” she stammered, even though there was the strong possibility that she was going to burst into tears the next time she saw him, which would really go down well.

There was a pause and then “…I’m sorry,” she said quietly, “for …for being so much trouble,”

"Liz," said Prompto, just as quietly, and with a pained expression on his face, before he shifted and moved in so that he could put his arms around her, even in her little huddled up position, "don't. You don't have to apologize. Not...not to me, anyway..."

Travis, probably, she would have to apologize to at some point, but he didn't think she needed to worry about that at exactly this moment.

"And it's not any trouble at all. Trust me."

He wouldn't be much of a....whatever he was, exactly...if it was.

And he knew that, all too well, from experience...

Liz was definitely apooogising to Travis once she figured out how to do the ‘sorry I set you on fire and killed you’ part of the apology.

She trembled and sniffed but managed to not cry as she leaned in against him, “feel so stupid,” she was finally able to get out.

Edited 2021-12-21 18:02 (UTC)

Yeah, that definitely did seem like it might be a bit more awkward than your standard, run-of-the-mill apology...

As she leaned in, Prompto just squeezed her a little bit harder. "Don't," he said again, much softer this time. "I know, you probably...can't help it, but...it was an accident, right? And, you know, all the more reason to...sort of...work on it. So that if there is a next time..."

He trailed off, not about to go too much into the speculation about there being a next time.

"And if there's anything I can do to help," he added, instead, "anything at all....please, Liz, just...let me know? Or....let me help. If I can."

“It…it was an accident,” she said quietly, “I …I’m trying…it just doesn’t seem to work,” she fell silent.

“You…you’re here …you haven’t run away from me even with everything going on,” she sniffed, “just …being here is enough,”

She felt bad for saying that since she figured he was due to return to his home world soon and she knew that his work was important, she was trying not to think about that.

Prompto was just kind of glad Liz couldn't see the wince on his face at that, considering that this was sort of the part he was dreading having to say, but he knew it couldn't be avoided. He just wished that the one thing she said was the one thing he couldn't do.

And it was the one thing he'd failed to do for Yang, too...

"I do have to go back," he said, quietly. "At least for the next week or so. Pretty much until the new semester gets started. But...." He hoped his squeeze was more reassuring than his words could be just then, "not until later. I can stick around today...for as long as you need me to."

She nodded, “I ..I understand,” she said quietly, “I - thank you for being here with me to-today,” she stammered.

There was a pause.

“I …I didn’t know if- if maybe I should go to the clinic…just to …I …may…I don’t know I think I …I might … she hesitated, “the last few days..” her voice trailed off in a ramble “I think it’s still the shock…”

"I think," Prompto teased lightly, "that's probably an understatement..."

He had his own, thoughtful, uncertain pause.

"If you think it might help," he offered, "then...you should. Would...did you want me to go with you?"

There was the smallest hint of a smile there, not much but it was the most she’d managed in the last few days.

“I …yes…please,” she said quietly as she glanced up at him, “if…if you wouldn’t mind,”

"If I did mind," Prompto countered, giving her a faint, hopefully encouraging smile, "I'd only have myself to blame for offering. So...it's a good thing that I definitely don't mind. Like, at all."

There was still that small faint smile, "th - thank you," she stammered, "it ... means a lot ...that you'd do this for ... for me, I know ... I'm not ...exactly good company for now," she said softly, "I ... I don't know when ..."

Her voice trailed off, she was going to say when I'll get better but ... the past few days weren't even the tip of the iceberg when it came to everything she was trying to process and she felt like any progress she had made recently had just reset and she'd have to start from the bottom again.

"I always enjoy your company, Liz," Prompto assured her, that smile broadening a little bit more. "It's really no problem. I...I want to help. However I can."

Especially since he really...won't be able to, until he got back.

“I …” she hugged her knees tighter and oh look there was a very faint blush appearing on her cheeks despite everything, it seemed even that would never go away. She bit her lip, trembling slightly.

She was unsure of what to say, “it … “ she paused again, “I enjoy being with you …you being here … it … it does help,” she told him softly.

Even with the blushing, those words felt a little like a knife twisting in Prompto's chest a little bit.

"I'm really sorry," he said, "that I can't...be here, for you....this week."

He really would, if he could, but...it was almost a choice he really couldn't make, he had to be there for Noctis, too.

"I ...I know," she said softly, "it's ... it's okay, I understand," she told him, "I know that your job is important,"

She paused, "I ..." she hesitated, "I may go home myself, for a few days, I ... I haven't decided,"

Part of her was scared that if she did leave she may decide to not bother coming back rather than deal with any fallout from what happened over the last few days.

"I mean," Prompto offered with a little shrug, another one of those small, encouraging smiles, clearly ready to support her in whatever she felt was best for her, "you guys probably celebrate Christmas at the BPRD, right? So that could be nice. And you could send me some pictures, of how Leo's doing..."

She did give a smile at that, “Professor Broom and I usually go to Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve,” she said softly, since they were both practicing Catholics and were more traditional in their approach to Christmas, “I ...I could do that … send you photos of Leo I mean,” there was a pause, "and the other cats as well,"

"All the cats," Prompto couldn't help grinning a little at the new directive....and to see her smile just a little bit more herself. "Don't try to skip out on any of them, I will count them."

“Okay,” she said and despite everything, she did let out a laugh … it was a very shaky and uneven laugh but it was still a laugh, “I will make sure to include all the cats,” she assured him, “no cat will miss out on their photo being taken,”

Hey, even a shaky laugh was still a laugh, so Prompto was gladly going to take it. Maybe even as sort of a victory. "Good," he said. "It'll give me something to look forward to. And you can take some time off and kind of...recover..."

She nodded slowly, “I … I’m going to start working on it, to try and get better." she told him, “I … I’ll need time but I’m going to try and work through it,” she knew from past experiences when she was like this it always took longer for her to recover from these episodes.

"As much time as you need," Prompto assured her, with a nod of his own. "Whatever you need. You'lll get through this, LIz. I know you can."

“Okay, I will, take time I mean ...” she told him, nodding slowly “I … I felt it only fair to let you know what … the next few weeks may be like … it’s … like I can be two different people sometimes, that sometimes I may seem okay and then the next … ” well he knew what she was like when she got in her hysterical crying states.

There was a hesitation and then, “I … I think I’d like to try and go to the clinic now,” she said softly, “if …if you still want to go with me?”

"Yeah," Prompto nodded again, with another reassuring smile, "of course."

And he leaned in to plant another kiss on her forehead, before pulling away and pushing himself up to his feet. Brushed at his pant legs a little before before offering out his hands to Liz to help her up next.

She trembled a bit as she let her arms go from where she had them wrapped around her knees and she was really glad Prompto had offered out his hand because she definitely stumbled a bit as she had been seated in that position for a while and her legs had started to cramp.

"Thank you," she said softly, whether she meant it to the coming with her to the clinic or to the helping her up from where she'd been curled up on the floor she didn't specify but she was definitely grateful for both.

Either way, Prompto was going to meet that with a soft smile and a feeling of gratitude for the fact that he did actually have nice strong arms to help support her a little now that she was up.

"Don't even mention it," he said, giving her hands a squeeze before shifting his own to hold hers better.

She smiled that faint smile again, especially once he adjusted his grip and she felt reassured by the squeeze he gave them, “I … I think I’m ready,” she told him, stammering slightly … still feeling slightly nervous, especially after everything that had happened these last few days.

[did you want me to post in the clinic post to continue their thread?

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The Photo Hut - Tuesday

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