open

[heavyhead]

who: Noctis and open
what: various open prompts including baby animals at the petting zoo
when: throughout May??
where: the zoo, other miscellaneous places
warnings: nothing

A. zoo/this is technically 2 prompts

[For someone who's only ever held down one job (and not for long), Noctis is doing pretty well at this petting zoo attendant thing. He gets to sit around and pet cute animals for most of his shifts? What's not to love? It almost makes up for having to clean up after them at the end of the day.

He has zero complaints about the uniform, complete with nametag, either. Actually this is probably the best part of this job.

What's not so great is how many people he has to talk to and supposedly educate, because damn, he is not great at that. The little kids are easily entertained enough, aside from the precocious ones who keep trying to correct his Animal Facts(tm), but it's a lot harder to remember everything he has to say about the various animals in the petting zoo area when there are actual adults around... He has petting zoo stage fright.

But he tries. Mostly, to varying degrees.

If you come by the petting zoo in the morning, when he's giving it his best shot, you'll probably catch him holding, at the same time, a bunny and a rough-looking, folded-and-unfolded-too-much piece of paper. The bunny is quite literally tucked into the crook of his arm, while he frowns at the paper and flounders.]

Okay, so this type of bunny— rabbit, this type of rabbit usually lives in, uh... [please save him, ask a question or something.]

[ORRRR if you come by later in the day, when he's just tired and wants to clock out and go, he'll hold up what looks mostly like a baby alligator, but for some reason, orange, and sigh.] You want to hold a lizard?

[professional.]

B. not the zoo

[When he's not at work, Noctis can be found loitering in public spaces like shopping centers and food courts, minding his own business and playing on his phone... or buying too many fishing lures at a time, or actually standing around looking like he might want to talk to someone.

The thing is: he had shit to do at home and it was pretty dang important, and now he's here and as much as he'd like to stay in his room and sleep all the time, there are people there and so he needs something else to keep busy. Which is dreadful in and of itself, but finding something to do besides mobile games? Even worse. He's compromised and gone back to the only thing he knows how to do: favors for other people. So while he loiters, there's a little sign set next to him that just says 'ODD JOBS' on it in marker. Hire him to pick vegetables or something.

He's still wearing the lion hat.]

C. etc?!

[plotting available @melodrama!]

Comments

[heavyhead]

[Ah yes, this is how you talk to kids....]

Sure. Is it fun?

[supersweet]

Yeah! Driving's always fun.

[ Even if Jon is much faster than any car, he enjoys the experience. ]

[heavyhead]

[Also fun: naps. To wit:]

I usually let my friends drive. Cars, though, not tractors.

[supersweet]

Don't they let you drive too?

[heavyhead]

Sure, but it's pretty boring.

[supersweet]

[ Jon doesn't see how but he could picture it for himself. After all, his dad can fly and Jon can make it halfway across Riverview in a matter of seconds. ]

I guess it can take a lot of time.

[heavyhead]

[And Noctis likes to nap in the back seat, which is way more exciting.]

Right. And someone's always complaining about what's on the radio.

[supersweet]

Do they also listen to really old music?

[ Jon is still waiting for his dad to realize the century has turned. ]

[heavyhead]

More like the same music. One song, over and over again, for hours.

[supersweet]

[ That's true pain. Jon winces. His sensitive hearing wouldn't be able to take that kind of abuse. ]

That's awful. Why would anyone do that?

[heavyhead]

Torture.

[He nods, seriously. This is the first and only reason to commit such a crime.]

[supersweet]

Maybe you just need new friends.

[heavyhead]

Hah, maybe you've got a point. They're usually okay, but sometimes...

[supersweet]

I didn't really have friends until I came here. so you're lucky.

[heavyhead]

You can share mine. Make them turn the music off whenever you want.

[supersweet]

Are they any good?

[heavyhead]

They're okay. I'd give 'em... about seven out of ten. As long as you don't mind getting up at the crack of dawn.

[supersweet]

I get up at four.

[ Farm boy, after all. ]

[heavyhead]

[What... kids these days....]

Uh- wow? Maybe they're the ones who're no match for you.

[supersweet]

Well, we have to get up early to take care of animals. Mom needs to go to work and I have school.

[ And while his father could do it easily, superspeed is frowned upon when it comes to chores. ]

[heavyhead]

Right... the farm. You still get up that early here, too?

[supersweet]

[ Jon considers it. ]

Sometimes. My dad works late so . . . I used to wake up early so I could see him before I go.