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Language:
English
Series:
Part 18 of The Chocobro Show
Collections:
Misc Games
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Published:
2022-02-12
Words:
742
Chapters:
1/1
Comments:
8
Kudos:
64
Bookmarks:
3
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566

Prom Snap

Summary:

A creepy dude in a lab coat makes Prompto question his worth.

Notes:

Disclaimer: I don’t own Final Fantasy XV, Pokemon Snap, or any of their contents, and I’m not making any money off this.

Work Text:

Prompto scrolls back and forth through maybe twenty different virtual photographs of Haunter before finally settling on what he considers the most artistic—it’s a vivid, visceral shot at a nice ninety degree angle with the subject perfectly aligned a third of the way across the frame. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knows it doesn’t match the criteria. He knows he’ll be docked for the stylized proportions, even though the one he ultimately picks is objectively better than a front-on close-up one would be. It just is. Every ounce of artistic integrity in his whole body tells him it’s a good shot. So he chooses it.

Professor Oak rates him low on size. Pose. Technique. There’s no bonus. He’s told he’s ‘so-so’.

So-so. Prompto worked all summer to afford the entrance fees for a university photography program. He’ll probably be working off his student debts until the day he dies. He considered it worth it at the time, because Prompto lives for his camera, and honestly, he thought he was a natural.

Evidently, he thought wrong. He can’t even please a crusty old man with an animal fetish. He can’t beat a children’s game. And it’s easy to say it’s the game’s fault, but Prompto’s the kind of person that never blames the game. He hates when other people use that excuse. He can’t justify doing it himself. The game’s incredibly popular, after all—it’s one of Ignis’ all time favourites. Ignis never mentioned Professor Oak having shit taste. So clearly it’s just Prompto. Prompto’s a shit photographer.

He sinks slowly back into the couch and starts mashing the A button just to get the scoring over with. He knows he’s a miserable failure. He’s taken back to the lab, and Professor Oak loads in with a frown on his stupid 2D face. Prompto can feel the disappointment. He’s disappointed in himself. He wants to stop playing.

But Noctis is sitting next to him on the couch, and he doesn’t want to look like a quitter.

Or Noctis was sitting next to him. When Prompto glances aside, he abruptly realizes he’s been abandoned. Noctis must’ve snuck off during the scoring. Maybe he caught Prompto’s sinking expression and didn’t want to be around that kind of negative energy. Or he had second-hand embarrassment from Prompto’s poor choices. At least they’re at Noctis’ place, so he has other, better things he could be doing in his bedroom. Prompto sits alone in the living room, painfully aware that it’s grown dark outside the windows, and he’s wasted hours of both their lives.

He’s a terrible friend. He was so happy when Noctis bought the old port for him—he figured that combining video games and photography would be amazing. He should’ve insisted Noctis return it. He’s wasted Noctis’ money. He sinks deeper into the cushions while Professor Oak judges him.

He hears shuffling around the corner and looks back—Noctis is coming out of the bedroom with his big duvet in his arms.

He comes to the couch and tosses it over Prompto’s head, then tugs it down around Prompto’s shoulders, arranging it with a warm smile. He tucks Prompto in, and Prompto realizes, okay, he was kind of cold. And more than that, blankets are always a comfort. What’s even better is Noctis thrusting a chocobo plushie into his hands. It’s the one Prompto won at the fare for him, and Noctis had cheered wildly when it happened, proclaiming Prompto the best gamer ever.

Settling back onto the couch beside him, Noctis asks, “Better?” Like a blanket and toy can fix everything.

Noctis can. Just having Noctis care for him melts Prompto. He breathes, “Yeah.” It’s sweet that Noctis even noticed. He hopes his poor mood wasn’t too much trouble.

Noctis noticed everything. “Professor Oak’s an idiot anyway. Does he seriously not know the rules of thirds? Even I know that one!”

Prompto cracks a smile. After so long spent frowning, it kind of hurts. But it feels good. Noctis smiles back and tells him, “You’re a good photographer, dude.”

He thought he was. But he also thought he’d like Pokémon Snap. He really does appreciate Noctis buying it for him.

But he guiltily ventures, “Can we go back to playing Goat Simulator?”

Noctis instantly snatches up the second controller, agreeing, “Fuck yeah, goat satan!” And they go back to being even worse human beings than Prompto is a Pokémon photographer.

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