open! (and some closed prompts)

[viktorymaker]

WHO: Viktor and you!!
WHERE: All around Recolle
WHEN: Sometime in July, you tell me when
WHAT: Bingo! (and other things! a catch-all post)
WARNINGS: None!



☆ open: spying is hard (aka the center square of his bingo card!

If you happen to be at Recolle Square while the sun is still out on this strategically unspecified day (take your pick!), you might run into a rather unusual situation!

a
[ Someone in a dog suit is standing next to a park bench and handing out flyers with a dog picture and an inspirational quote. However, upon closer inspection, it looks like he's paying more attention to a man sitting on another nearby bench than to what seems to be his actual job. There's SO MANY flyers on the bench that it's obvious that he's doing a terrible job handing them out.

Additionally, some uncute child snuck up on him at some point, and stole a bunch of those flyers for his friends to play with. So now there's papers on the ground all around Recolle Square, and this person is to blame. Except he hasn't noticed. You can be the one to tell him. I mean... Someone should... ]

b
[ If you drop by later that day, the flyer problem is gone! But you might notice that the dog suit person seems to be trying to point their phone at a couple sitting on that bench. Not suspicious at all, right?

Spoilers: this was supposed to be quick, but he's not being very successful. His paws make everything hard. And this is the third time his phone falls-- oh. Was that a crack? It was a pretty loud noise, followed by what was probably a swear word in Russian. Whoops! ]

c
[ If you're there shortly before sunset, you might catch him as he takes off the head of his dog suit and rests on the bench with a sigh now that there's no one sitting on that other bench anymore. He really shouldn't be taking this off this here, he should head back so that no one can see him in this pathetic state. His hair is a mess and he's a fashion emergency situation in too many senses... He'd really, really hate it if anyone saw him like this. But at this point, he just seems relieved to be able to breathe and rest. It's been a rough day. Hopefully it won't get even worse! ]

-------

☆ open: wildcard

Anything goes, including anything we might have previously planned and/or any new things!

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★ closed to: Prompto

[ Having to spend money to get something for Jim of all people seems like a cruel joke, but he's already decided to do try for a blackout bingo, so here he is, hoping there's something cheap on the list so that he can at least have that small satisfaction.

Either way, Viktor doesn't usually go to Towers, and every single attendant is busy right now. So now there's a tall and now silver-haired man looking at the map of the department store, trying to figure out where to go from here without wasting too much time... Making sense of it is harder than he thought it'd be, especially when all he's thinking about is his dog waiting outside the building and what he'll have for dinner tonight. Maybe he should just ask another customer and get it over with. ]

-------

★ closed to: Yuuri

[ A date at the beach! That's what will happen today, even though Viktor arrived at the beach early to work on a 1,80cm-tall sand structure on his own. He entertained himself with some music playing on his phone while he played fetch with Makkachin while working on the pointless pyramid. All in all, he could think of a number of worse ways to spend a Sunday morning.

Time passes, and by the time Yuuri is supposed to get there he's adding the finishing touches to the sandcastle (it doesn't look much like a sandcastle but hey, no one said it had to be a masterpiece). He's been here for a few hours by now. Makkachin is resting under the beach umbrella, but Viktor isn't anymore because the sun moved and moving his things seemed like too much effort. God bless sunblock. ]

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★ closed to: Togusa

Viktor and Togusa agreed to meet up this month, and Viktor suggested they do so at the Zoo. It seemed like a good place to avoid casual eavesdropping, and given the nature of what they would be talking about, that was probably for the best.

Besides, Viktor had a bingo slot to fill at the Zoo-- and he saw the bingo game as part of his investigation, so killing two birds with one stone seemed like an good idea.

That's why he's here now, waiting for Togusa next to a big tree by the entrance while catching up with Retrospec on his phone.

Comments

Zoo

[standalonehuman]

It looks casual enough to go here (see, Drake, this is how you do secret meetings!), and this is one spot that has definitely seen an uptick in business, thanks to Retrospec. Togusa is technically here for business, but he still has a warm smile for Viktor when he approaches and raises a hand.

"Good to see you again." He just couldn't get away with wearing a jacket, due to the heat, so he is carrying a file folder out in the open. Can't avoid bringing in some physical evidence that Viktor needs to see.

[viktorymaker]

As he approaches, Togusa might notice that Viktor's hair isn't platinum blond anymore, but an unusual shade of silver. He's also wearing a gold ring on his right hand. Other than that, he looks the same as before!

Viktor smiles back, taking note of the folder but choosing not to comment on it yet. It's a nice day, Togusa is a nice guy, and even if the whole Retrospec business isn't exactly nice, he's still in a good mood for a number of reasons that may or may not come up. Business can wait until they're inside.

"Good to see you again too, Officer." He says this, but it still sounds casual coming from him. Considering the setting, this is probably for the best. He gestures at the entrance with his head and takes the first step, then walking beside Togusa at a leisurely pace. "Thanks for making the time to meet up."

[standalonehuman]

"Not a problem," Togusa says as he looks Viktor over. H-unh. "I see you caught the plague from the Narukamis," Togusa gestures to Viktor's hair. A joke the twins had been making, when the both of them had a very similar physical change happen to them. "Got to be careful or I might be next."

He walks along a few steps before he can ask his next question. "Anything else- new, recently?" Togusa hasn't been personally experiencing some of the changes that have swamped other people, but he's been there to try to help cope with some barely imaginable things, this past month.

[viktorymaker]

"Oh? Do you also have this hair color in your Retrospec memories?" He waves his hand absently. "Or hallucinomemories, or whatever you like to call them."

He stays silent for a moment when Togusa asks that, walking along with a faint smile on his face. He rests his index finger on his lips before speaking, and now there's no way to miss the gold ring that he's wearing on his right hand. He wasn't wearing that before either, but whether or not that matters to Togusa is for him to decide.

"There's a few things. Mostly hearsay, but that can be useful too. There seems to be a growing number of interesting theories going around, don't you think?"

[standalonehuman]

Togusa shakes his head. "I've actually never seen myself in any of them. So who knows? I could look completely different." A thought he hadn't entertained until just this second. Could there be surprises like what Cleo and Lucian are going through waiting for him?

Maybe not go down that train of thought just now.

Togusa blinks in surprise at the ring, but he remains quiet about it. "Are we in a video game, or all brainwashed, or is there something wrong with everyone else, and not us? Or is there some greater catastrophe out there, and Retrospec is actuallly trying to prevent it. Got to love these theories. I need something more concrete. We all do."

open, c!

[sharplydressed]

[What was that? He hopes the day doesn't get worse?? NO SUCH LUCK--

Except he's actually at least a little lucky. It'd probably be better if no one happened across him at all, but Kiyomitsu "being cute is of Utmost Importance" Kashuu is likely among the best people to meander by if anyone had to. He gets it, okay. Sometimes, you just have to rip off your stupid outfit at the end of a long day, even if your hair is stuck to your head in fifty unflattering ways.

So he pauses as he walks by behind the bench, recognizing a messy head of hair in need of saving before he recognizes Viktor himself.

And after a second:]

...I have a comb and a hand-mirror, if you need 'em.

[viktorymaker]

[ Oh, of all the




of all the people who could have seen him at his worst, ha ha thank you, Jim!!!!!!

He's silent for a moment, looking at Kiyomitsu as if he might disappear if he stares long enough at him and this might become some sort of hallucination brought on by his dislike for, well, basically everything right now. Alas, this doesn't happen.

So he does what any self-respecting person could do in this case ,even though a truly self-respecting person would not be in this situation in the first place. Let's not go there, he has Reasons to do this. He purses his lips, runs a hand through his hair pointlessly, swallows his pride, and... sighs. ]

. . . Please.

[sharplydressed]

[Jim's probably whispering you're welcome like an asshole from wherever he is...

But Kiyomitsu will nod once, reaching for his shoulder bag to start digging around in it. He's got one (1) clean comb and a very nice pocket mirror for Viktor to use! Gotta be all about that aesthetic.]

Here.

[Handing them over... And after a second's pause:]

Sooo... Outta curiosity, is this a bingo thing? Or did you just get stuck on mascot duty somehow?

[viktorymaker]

[ That pocket mirror is beautiful, but before he comments on that he wants to make himself look... well... at least presentable... tl;dr priorities. So please excuse him while he tries to make his hair become less of an embarrassment, for Kiyomitsu's sake as well as his own.

Jim, wherever he is and even if he's watching, Does Not Count.

Anyway, at least he's practiced at this. He's no stranger to mirrors and having a short time to change hairstyles, and it shows because he's managing decent results pretty fast, considering! Just, you know, do not say anything about any his (very small!) (easy to miss!!) bald patch. Do not say it. ]

Of course. [ He shoots Kiyomitsu a not-quite-glare that would be a lot more effective if he wasn't tired and wearing this suit. ] I thought it'd take a couple of hours at most, but crossing out that bingo slot has kept me here since morning.

wildcard.

[erythristic]

[passing through the park is pleasant enough when the sun is lower and there's a breeze passing through. but so much has been happening that she decides to go slower than she usually would, giving herself some time to take it all in. for a few moments, she can pretend like there isn't a multitude of things concerning and bothering her with the world around. the week is over, and it's another week she can chalk up as everything going mostly right.

someone yells, to her left - a child, playing a ball game - but the instinct to look is so automatic that her head swivels to see...

and because she isn't quite looking out where she's going, it means she ends up walking directly into someone else. whoops.]

-Oh, I am so sorry, are you alright?

[wait...has she seen this person before? their face, somewhere...]

[viktorymaker]

[ Viktor is walking his dog at the park after work today, but work has been less than nice to him lately, and between that and the bingo, and Retrospec in general, he's had A Lot on his mind. That is to say, he's not paying attention as he walks either, and he's looking at Makkachin when they bump into each other. At least the dog was tired after running around for a while, so they were walking slowly and this shouldn't really hurt or anything... But, of course, he's not entirely blameless for this. ]

I'm fine-- we're fine, don't worry about it. Right, Makkachin?

[ The dog looks up at him, then at her, missing the point entirely... Viktor whispers Makkachin! at him, and then the poodle barks and wags his tail with more energy. After patting his head and giving him a treat, he stands up straight to look at Grell, and he speaks in a normal voice now. ]

Sorry about that. I was distracted. Are you OK?

[ He's definitely seen her somewhere as well, but where? He waits for her answer as he tries to remember. From the Studio? From his PI job? From the Agency? ]

[erythristic]

I'm fine - I'm glad you're both fine. That's what matters.

[she offers a smile to Makkachin, who she believes to be wholly adorable and blameless in this entire scenario. but it doesn't solve the mystery of who he is, until it hits her in a flash because there's something unforgettable about his eyes even if she has to dig around in her memory for it. eyes in a picture, but still.

Grell laughs at the coincidence of it all.]

It seems I have a slight bit of a habit of running into you in peculiar ways. My name is Grell - I believe we've spoken before.

[viktorymaker]

[ His surprise is completely transparent for a moment. Did you know he loves to be surprised? Because he does. Especially when it's nothing life-threatening! ]

Grell-from-the-app, right. [ Never forget! ] Wow, of all the places to meet! How have you been? It's been a while~

[ Makkachin catches on to his human's enthusiasm and barks along, wagging his tail. ]

wildcard, as planned!

[surprising]

[ not only having to call a stranger, but also having a full conversation with them is definitely easier said than done...

still, he enters in a random number and hits 'call' — and once he hears someone pick up on the other end, he pipes up rather cheerfully. ]

Hello! I'm Rindou.

[viktorymaker]

[ A cheerful stranger! Viktor laughs quietly to himself. Work, or bingo? It's a toss-up... ]

Hi Rindou! I'm Viktor.

[surprising]

It's nice to meet you, Viktor!

[ at least he doesn't sound bothered — that's a plus! there's a lull on rindou's end for a while, before he speaks again. ]

...How are you?

[ nailed it ]

[viktorymaker]

[ Bingo. He smiles at the waitress in the coffee shop where he is right now, asking for the check. ]

I'm fine! I have some time off today, so it's a great day to have a conversation with a stranger on the phone. Let me guess-- Retrospec user?

[mercurio]

[prompto is messaging away at his phone. an action that is not the most dangerous, but one which does, in the end, cause him to be sort of blind regarding his surroundings. he moves around at a slow pace, barely taking notice of people and things in front of him]

[so it shouldn't be surprising when he looks up for a second and ends up with a map of the department store all over his face.]

Awheuhhh!

[he was attacked!]

[viktorymaker]

[ That evil map!!! When this happens, Viktor is looking at the map intently, giving it one last try before giving up and asking someone. In fact, he's looking at it so intently that he couldn't possibly prevent the disaster. He only snaps out of it when Prompto makes that mysterious noise of surprise and pain.

And now that it's already happened, Viktor, being the nice gentleman that he is, doesn't react. At least not for a long moment. ]

Prompto?!

[ OK, so saying the victim's name is not exactly the same as asking him are you okay, but it will have to do for now... At the very least, Viktor definitely looks surprised, which, well, can be mistaken for concern if you squint! ]

[mercurio]

[the fact that his name is getting called means that there's familiarity in his attacker, so prompto turns his eyes to look up and finds, past the map, into a friend's face.]

Oh, hey, mister Nikiforov!

[prompto still sounds like a child when he tries pronouncing the last syllables of the name]

Didn't know you had a thing for attacking unsuspecting individuals with a map! [he snickers] --been a while. How're ya?

[viktorymaker]

[ He raises his hands up in the air jokingly at that. ]

The map did that on its own, I'm innocent!

[ He winks at him. It really has been a while! He's been busy, even though there haven't been any events at the Studio that require a photographer. Such is life when you balance two jobs. ]

I'm fine, but I was having trouble with this map too. Say, do you know where I could find Jim's Registry?

[ He's assuming Prompto knows what he's talking about because apparently, everyone and their dog are playing bingo, so why not Prompto as well? ]

[katsudonfatale]

[ Yuuri arrives at noon, as agreed, but not without a lot of effort. Getting a dozen pool noodles in and out of an Uber is no easy task, let alone carrying (dragging?) them across the beach until he spots Viktor. He's grateful to the sand structure for serving as a marker, especially since they never agreed where at the beach they'd meet.

Slowly, but surely, he makes his way towards the other man; sweat already starting to wet the back of his neck. ]

[viktorymaker]

[ A standard poodle with a lamb cut is the first one to see him, and his identity as Makkachin is confirmed when he barks and runs towards Yuuri with enthusiasm. Viktor spots him from afar and, also enthusiastically, waves both arms over his head as hello, here I am!

But he doesn't run or come to help. Sorry Yuuri! You're on your own until you come closer, unless you count a dog's help as help, which you shouldn't, because Makkachin is jumping now! Goodbye, your center of gravity!]

[katsudonfatale]

[ Getting confirmation from both parties is nice and being greeted by his favorite doggo is even nicer, but even as a skilled dancer it's hard for Yuuri to keep his balance when he's trying to wave back at Viktor and Makkachin just so happens to pounce him. ]

Ahh—hold on Makkachin, I'll greet you properly in a moment—w-wait, no! Please don't—! Waaugh!

[ Aaaand, down he goes. ]

[viktorymaker]

[ Well, he's not crossing that distance right away, but Makkachin has no mercy and by the time he's ready to let Yuuri breathe Viktor is there, joining them under this criminal sun. He squats next to them, between scattered pool noodles. ]

You brought so many!