[OPEN] Kindness is a light in Kirkwall

[killedwithlove]

WHO: Cole; anyone who needs him
WHAT: Cole's been convinced to come to Kirkwall to help people so he is going to help the hell out of them.
WHEN: Covering the month of Bloomingtide
WHERE: Anywhere BUT the Gallows
NOTES: Will probably end up dealing with lots of the awful from the Gallows. PM this journal or jemisard for an individual starter

Cole never wanted to come here. He wanted to leave, to go elsewhere, but he was convinced that here he is most needed and thus, here he is.

Kirkwall scares him. Deeply scares him, so much that he barely goes into the city at first, but he slowly starts picking out the individuals among the screaming horror of the city, the people who he can help, who still be touched and brought back.

Comments

[crowncitizen]

The words stop him dead in his tracks. Eyes wide, Prompto looks around for a moment until he finally finds Cole. The young man's appearance strikes him. He wonders if he's one of the city's poor.

"I... what?" Prompto blinks at his words. "What... makes you say that?"

[killedwithlove]

"Because- it's true?"

Cole just looks confused now. Why else would he say something, except that it's true?

[crowncitizen]

"But how do you know that? You just... blurted out stuff about me, but we've never even met." There's something very unsettling about this young man. Prompto pins in on the odd words and the expression he wears, like he's staring right into his soul, reading him like an open book.

[killedwithlove]

"Because I care. When I care, I know things. That's Compassion."

He takes a couple of steps forward, head tilting so he can peer out from under his hat easier. "We just met, but I know your pain."

[crowncitizen]

Well, consider Prompto fifty shades of confused.

"I... think I'm missing something here. You know my pain?" How is that even possible? "Are you saying you can read my mind?" he says it jokingly, because surely that's not possible.

Right?

[killedwithlove]

"Not your mind. Your emotions, your memories, everything that hurts, in your mind and soul."

And yes, sometimes people's minds.

"I'll never use anything I know to hurt you. I help people. That's what I am."

[crowncitizen]

Holy shit he had been kidding. How is this even possible? Prompto tries not to outwardly look like he's panicking.

"You can -" Okay, deep breaths. This is fine. This guy doesn't seem predatory, despite his abilities. "How can anyone do that, though? You say that's what you are but... are you human?" No one's told him much about spirits or what they can do, so he's very lost.

[killedwithlove]

"I won't hurt you. I help people. That's why I know what hurts them, so I can help heal the harm."

He glances away and shakes his head slowly. "No. Not human. Not really spirit anymore, but- maybe more spirit than anything else? I was Compassion before I was Cole."

[crowncitizen]

Okay, now it's beginning to click for him. He's heard emotions being used to describe those demons that come out of the rifts. But Cole clearly isn't a demon, or he'd be attacking him by now, right? "So, you're like those daemons that come out of the rift, but nicer. I... didn't even know there were nice demons." Maybe someday, Prompto will be in a conversation about Thedas that won't completely floor him. He's not even gonna touch the not-really-human-but-not-even-spirit bit because that's so beyond his realm of understanding. "So. Compassion. And then you became Cole." Where is Ignis when he needs him to help parse all this? "Maybe let's start with that. Nice to meet you, Cole. I'm Prompto."

[killedwithlove]

"Yes. I was a spirit. I'm still a spirit, but not just a spirit. Most spirits can't cope with this world and it drives them insane, makes them the worst of themselves. I'm different. I don't know why."

He nods. "Yes. I know. Prompto who isn't Lucian, why can't you be Lucian, they need to not know about Niflheim- Yes. Prompto. You like photography. I don't know what it is though."

[crowncitizen]

"Is that why they look so... deformed when they come through those rifts? And attack people?" Gods, that would explain a few things. If that's true, then Prompto kind of feels bad now for killing them. Sure, it had to be done, but maybe they couldn't help themselves.

Despite him knowing what Cole can do, hearing those words alarms him. His lips press together tightly, eyes wide as he tries not to outwardly freak out. It's okay. That stuff doesn't mean anything here. Deep breath. "I wish I was." He hasn't even told Noctis or the others about his heritage. He's never been sure how to bring it up with them, if they'd accept him after learning about it. After all, if things had gone differently, he'd be the enemy. It makes him sick just thinking about it. "Photography. It's taking pictures. Like a painting, but I don't actually paint anything. I use a device called a camera that captures a still image."

[killedwithlove]

"Yes. They can't make shapes that make sense, everything is confusing and overwhelming and if they can grab people, maybe they can make it make sense. You're kind for caring about that. Most people don't see spirits as worth having kindness for."

Cole lets the wash of panic happen, because he can't change it and Prompto knows how to handle it. It doesn't matter here, but a lifetime of emotion doesn't change easily. "That sounds like a type of magic. But- it isn't. The device isn't magic?"