—

…This was a disaster. An complete, total, and utter disaster.

Ravus had been helping run a city for years. He'd been helping run this city for a while. Everything should have been fine. Except it wasn't.

Filling in for certain leaders was entirely different than trying to take the full mantle. There were just too many little details that only Loqi and Petra were aware of. They knew their people.

Prompto was getting stressed. His brothers were getting stressed. Hell, Ravus felt more stressed than he had in years, and that was really saying something given how much he'd been through in… well, his entire life, honestly.

Was there ever a time he wasn't stressed in some manner?

Not since the attack on Tenebrae. At least not for long.

But this. This was an entirely different level.

He had no idea whose children were whose. He didn't know where people were supposed to be and when. He didn't know what tasks people were supposed to have just by looking at them. And Loqi and Petra's logs were outdated to say the least. They'd slacked off considerably after Fita's death, though whether that was her job or they fell behind due to their leadership shortage, Ravus wasn't sure. The reason didn't really matter. Either way if didn't leave him much to work with. His only help in that area came from Evan and Dino's spotty knowledge.

How utterly asinine. All of it.

He was going to rip his hair out. Or stab someone. He really wasn't certain which was more likely at the moment.

"Mrs. Hudkins can't find her daughter," Prompto said tiredly, waving a paper at Ravus' face as he caught up to him. "She's kinda freaking out about it."

Ravus glared at the boy and kept walking at the same pace even as he snatched the paper. "Has anyone left the city?"

"Uhhh, no?"

"Well then the child's hardly in danger, now is she?" Ravus said dryly. I wasn't as though this were a place people could sneak out of. "What is this?"

"…A list."

Ravus rolled his eyes. "Obviously. Of what?"

"…I don't actually remember."

Ravus resisted the urge to slap his own forehead. Honestly, though, at this point he couldn't even blame him. They'd been running around so much it was easy to lose track of things.

Ravus shoved the paper back into Prompto's chest, forcing him to take it. "Then give it to me once you do. What's the status on the ration distribution?"

Rationing. They were back to damned rationing. They hadn't had to resort to rationing in ages. But now…

The trade route was down. And most of those damned apples were in Lestallum because they still grew better with the heat there.

So back to rationing it was.

"Uh. Um." Prompto patted down his pockets until he found one that had another piece of paper in it, which he quickly dug out. "Yeah, uh, not great. We found the card things Loqi and the others used to use, but we don't really know how they organize the whole giving out process. Annnnd we don't actually have enough cards because the population has grown so much since then with people moving over from Lestallum–"

Ravus sighed heavily, sharply gesturing for Prompto to stop talking. He was about to attempt some form of instruction when another Argentum decided to make his day even more stressful.

"Mr. Ravus!" Dino sprinted over to them from up ahead, nearly plowing someone over in the process.

Ravus took the briefest of moments to calm himself so he didn't snarl at the boy in irritation. It wasn't his fault. They were trying to help. No need to punish them for it.

"Yes, Dino?" Ravus asked, his voice so calm that anyone probably could have picked up on it not being sincere.

Dino's face was one of absolute sorrow. "We can't make anymore 'ats!"

"Hats… Ravus repeated blankly.

Never mind. He was going to kill him after all.

Dino pouted, looking damn near close to stamping his foot. "The supply team didn't bring any materials back like they 'ere supposed to, so now me the others can't make any more 'ats and whatnot for the cold people!"

…Right, no… That actually was a concern worth noting when the finer details were explored. Those moving here from Lestallum didn't have anything appropriate for the cold. Lestallum was too hot for that. Dino and his… knitting club or whatever had been tasked with getting them appropriate attire.

But Dino hadn't gotten his supplies and now more people would be suffering.

…Sweet Astrals, the last thing they needed was another sickness breaking out in these confined tunnels because someone didn't have a hat.

This was more than a disaster. It was a living nightmare.

And there was only one person who could help with it.

"…Prompto, just… do what you can," Ravus ordered, turning on his heel to head for a certain other part of the city. "Dino, see if anyone has spare attire they can temporarily lend out."

"Okay… Where are you going?" Prompto called after him. He and Dino had stopped walking when Ravus had veered off course.

"Take you best guest," Ravus tossed back.

He didn't want this. He wanted to give his friend more time to grieve and recover – he'd wanted to give him a break.

But this city well and truly did need Loqi to keep functioning.

It was time to stop denying that.

But Ravus only needed a bit of advice. A few questions answered.

The last thing he needed was to overload Loqi with further stress while he was in his current state.

He found Loqi exactly where he thought he would – shooting things.

With all the tunnels in Crestholm, there were still some relatively empty ones in its depths – ones Ravus knew Echo and Loqi in particular liked to use for target practice. Not that either of them truly needed it anymore.

Of course, this had to be more therapy than practice.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

The glazed look in Loqi's eyes let Ravus know he wasn't terribly focused on his task of shooting the sacks of sand he was putting holes in, but that didn't seem to be bothering his aim much. If at all.

Loqi was clearly a man lost in thought, and guilt gnawed at Ravus as he came to a stop a few feet behind him.

Anyone else and Ravus would have chewed them out and told them that everyone else had lost plenty too, but as a fellow city leader…

Well. Ravus knew the strain all too well. Especially now.

"Loqi," Ravus finally said when Loqi made no acknowledgment of presence.

Loqi flinched, his shot landing horribly off target. Ravus winced. He hadn't realized Loqi actually had no idea he was there.

"…I'm blaming that shot on you," Loqi said dryly, lowering his bow.

He glanced at Ravus, looking very done with the conversation before it had even started.

"…It's not going well, is it?"

Ravus gave his lips a lick, trying to decide on how to phrase his reply. "…Your people appear to be used to a certain way of doing things that I and the others are unfamiliar with."

Loqi sighed. "I thought that would happen." He tiredly swung his bow over his shoulder. "All right. Bring me up to speed and I'll see if I can't smooth matters over. Time I got back to work anyway." He was suddenly moving past Ravus.

Ravus scowled, moving to follow him. "You needn't return fully to duty yet. I merely needed to know a few details on–"

Loqi's laugh was sudden and out of place. And lacking any real humor. It was an unnerving, hollow sound. "Please, Fleuret. I'm not deaf. I can hear the ruckus of the city no matter how deep I wander into these tunnels."

Ravus just really didn't like that tone. So emotionless. So resigned to misery. "…Very well. But I expect you so be delegating much to the rest of us. That is not negotiable."

Loqi merely grunted in reply.

…They needed activities here. Or rather, Loqi needed to participate in what they did have.

Even Ravus knew that.

A man could not live with so much loss by focusing on duty alone.

If taking over fully for Loqi to help him wasn't an option, then Ravus was damn well going to find something else to help.

But that alone still wouldn't help and Ravus knew it.

Quite honestly, they needed two Loqis – one for here and one for the trade route.

No one else had so much attention to detail for here, or could lead the Argentum boys so seamlessly on the field–

Oh. Ravus was an idiot. Of course they had someone capable of helping fill the role. Why hadn't they thought of it before?

Whether he liked it or not, Scientia was about to get an assignment change. Other people could do his job in Lestallum, but he was needed for higher tasks now.

Ravus would kidnap him if he needed to.

"…Loqi, I may have a solution to your leadership shortage."

—