Backdated Log

[thedifferencebetween]

Who: Handsome Jack, open to family and friends

Where: Goldenrod

When: Over the weekend

Summary: Jack misses Manaka and has pouted, sulked, and wheedled until all of his 'kids' agree to come visit.

Rating: PG-13 for language

Log:




This sucks.

This sucks giant hairy bullymong balls. Jack had really cared about Manaka. She was the perfect little princess. She'd taken care of him when he needed it, let him take care of her, appreciated all he did for her... He misses her. He misses having her around, knowing she's there, knowing whenever he's feeling down or just has a dumb joke he needs to share, she'd be there.

He used to have that with Angel, but everything's been all messed up since she came here. It's only sometimes like that, good, how it ought to be. And yeah, yeah, he's kind of taken in a couple other kids, but it's not like it had been with Manaka. She may as well have been as much his flesh and blood daughter as Angel. She'd even taken after him more than Angel does - though he won't be swayed from his opinion that Angel is a lot more like him than she'll admit.

But he's got to try and look at this as a positive thing. Okay, Manaka's gone back home. She could come back, people do that. And hey, look at everybody who's come to make sure he's okay! He's got a hell of a family here. Which is why he's got the grill going and the pool heated up and a casual little 'party' going on in the backyard. May as well, before he gets rid of this house and moves on to somewhere better.

He himself is just lounging in a T-shirt and jeans and sneakers on a lounge chair, with a bottle of beer, watching over the festivities and feeling like King of the Castle. That, at least, is a good feeling. He's on his way up again. And he's got way better help this time, than he did when he started in Hyperion. He's got Nisha and Felix, he's got the kids...

They'll surely be running Team Rocket in a handful of years!

Comments

[keep_surviving]

Diana comes up behind Jack and ruffles his hair playfully. "Hey Pops." She chimes, before sliding her arms lazily around his shoulders and resting her chin atop his head affectionately, effectively hugging his whole head from behind without smothering it.

[thedifferencebetween]

"Hey sweetheart."

Jack pats one of Diana's hands and rolls his eyes upwards, tilting his head slightly to try and look at her. She's a good kid. Most of the Rocket kids are.

"I did promise ya a pool party. Not the one I had planned, but why let a good yard go to waste?"

It's actually kind of nice, lying here, watching the kids. Sometimes he can hear Nisha and Felix talking in the background. Lunch cooking on the grill. Pokemon rolling around in the grass. It's like an afternoon off of TV, summer on its way out and the family having one last hurrah before it gets too chilly to. Between the theft and sabotage and other Rocket activities. He's got the foundation for something good, here.

He just wishes Manaka were around to be part of it.

[keep_surviving]

She moves to rest her chin on his shoulder instead, allowing him to turn more easily to look at her. She flashes him a playful smile and presses her cheek to his as she squeezes him. "Having fun?"

[thedifferencebetween]

"Hey, careful, don't cut yourself on my mask clasp. That metal's sharp and I don't wanna spend the afternoon trying to get your blood out of synthflesh." It's not as bad when his mask's off, the metal attachments sunk into his face. But no one outside of Felix and Nisha see him without his mask. Even now, casual and relaxed and in his own back yard, surrounded by what amounts to his family, the mask stays firmly in place.

"And I'm not hating life, so..." He makes a vague gesture with his bottle of beer.

[keep_surviving]

Diana rolls her eyes and sticks her tongue out before standing up to clamber onto the other lounger beside him. She leans back with a relaxed sigh and rubs her tired looking eyes. "Well, that's good. We don't want you all mopey now."

[thedifferencebetween]

"Why, 'cause I'm less likely to buy ya that pony?"

Jack glances over at Diana with a slight smirk.

"You wanna beer? It's actually pretty good stuff, local brew. Expensive!"

Because as far as he's concerned, expensive means better. And even if he's stuck living some bullshit suburban patriarch life, he's still gonna do it better than anybody else.

[keep_surviving]

"Well, you took too long. I've got Jinx's ponies to ride now."

She returns Jack's smirk with one of her own and a dance of her eyebrows.

"Hmmm. I don't usually do beer." Not for any kind of pledge of sobriety, she just didn't drink a lot and when she did she preferred fruity spirit based things. "But it'd be rude to turn down an offer so, sure." She shrugs. "I'll give it a try."

[bleedingunversed]

Had it been anyone else inviting him to a party he probably would have laughed in their face. But, truth be told? Vanitas actually liked Jack; was amused by the older man. Nisha was pretty great too in his book.

So here we was. Socializing.

Dropping down to sit on the ground beside where Jack was seated, his Houndoom, Scrapper, sitting beside him obediently, Vanitas watches everyone milling about with an unimpressed look. Or maybe it was just a bored look.

"Having fun, old man?"

[thedifferencebetween]

"Oh yeah, this is a real roof raiser." Jack rolls his eyes. "I need a lot more drugs and chicks in little bathing suits to be having fun."

But no, this is nice. Quaint. It's good to remember the people that care about you, the people you can depend on. At least as much as Jack ever does, he's been screwed over by too many people he thought were his friends to be that trusting.

Nisha he trusts. He doesn't believe in soul mates or any of that crap, but if they were a thing, Nisha would be his. She knows him right down to all the dark little places. Felix he knows he can trust as long as the cash flows and the good life continues. It should probably bother him, that he loves a guy he's basically buying, but...it works. He doesn't need Felix to love him, he just needs Felix to be his. And it's comforting to know, for sure, that the other guy isn't going to just randomly turn on him. It offers a stability that Jack needs.

And the kids...well, he'd trusted Manaka the most. Diana and Van? He likes them. He's taken them under his wing. But trust...eh. He trusts Diana to an extent, and he trusts Vanitas to be a difficult little shit. Trust is earned.

Angel...well, Angel's a different story.

But this is his family. Family's important. A guy needs family.

[bleedingunversed]

Vanitas can't help but smirk lazily, watching Jack out of the corner of his eye.

"Hey this whole thing was your idea, old man. Don't blame me for your lack of drugs and women," he drawled, earning a soft snort from Scrapper. Vanitas will never understand people and their strange hobbies and desires. He just really doesn't get it.

Power had always been his vice. What good were drugs and whiny girls?

"You really do have an obnoxiously big family here."

[thedifferencebetween]

"And it's not my fault this world is lacking in both. You'd think one of these Pokemon would get ya high, but I haven't found it yet." Well, there's the one that sort of makes him sleepy, but...eh...even with a mix of booze and painkillers, it's not what he's looking for.

"What, this? Eh, it's getting there. Always wanted a big family. That's like the most primal and basic way to judge a man's power and wealth: how big a family he's got."

[bleedingunversed]

"It's probably better for everyone involved if you never find a Pokemon you can huff, pops."

He just has this mental image of Jack with a farm of psychedelic, hallucinogenic Pokemon and while it would be hilarious it would probably be all sorts of bad as well.

Vanitas snorted softly, looking around at everyone gathered about again.

"I'll never understand you and wanting a family to begin with. It seems like a waste of time." While the words are harsh, there's something to Vanitas's tone..a genuine curiosity about this. Why was everyone so keen on relationships??

[thedifferencebetween]

"Says you." Please, Jack can handle his drugs. The things he put in his system back home...

"That's cause you're all broken and shit. People need people. I have a shitty day? I got people to talk to about it with, who'll cheer me up. Kids I look after and help out? Makes me feel proud when they do cool shit, 'cause I helped'em and mentored them and I can see the ways I'm making a difference in the world. My wife and my boyfriend? I can always depend on'em, I know I got'em in my corner and there's no better balm when you're down or pissed or whatever, than somebody you love taking care of ya. That's important, kiddo. You don't have people you shrivel up inside and get all angry and bitter and forget how to be a person. Like you!"

Jack's honestly not sure if the kid can be fixed, but maybe. He figures they can at least get him to Felix levels of giving a shit. Felix isn't exactly a warm and squishy guy with a lot of feelings, but he at least understands the need for personal relationships.

[badluckbabe]

"Hail to the king huh?"

It's a sharp contrast seeing Jack like this. The other interactions she'd had with him was Rocket related and he was done up for those. This was casual, amusingly so and it made her smile.

Pool parties were fun, not her favorite kind of summer fun because she burned so easily with pale skin like hers, but who could resist some sunshine and free food?

"Did you always plan on being dad to so many adopted punks or is this just a happy accident?"

[thedifferencebetween]

"Damn right." Even a king in repose is still a king. Jack opens one eye to regard Jinx. He doesn't really know the kid, but she's a Rocket and she's like Diana's best friend or some crap.

"They say a man's wealth is measured by his family, so...not gonna complain. What can I say? I just got a lot of love to give! I'm a natural patriarch. And at least one kid is actually mine, I do have a biological daughter here."

Of course, the ones that aren't actually his spend way more time with him.

[badluckbabe]

Jinx meanwhile was curious about just how much of a villain Jack was. She already had seen through his efforts with Team Rocket that he knew what he was doing. But where were his lines? What were his specialties? Diana liked him well enough so that at least proved he was smart enough to entertain her.

Taking a seat near by but not directly facing him she helped herself to a drink from the cooler.

"Lucky you. She hanging around here too or is she off doing the wandering hobo trainer thing that everyone seems to enjoy?"

[thedifferencebetween]

"Yeah, she does the hobo thing. With...some friends of hers." That he doesn't like. "I mean she's an adult, so she can do what she wants. We get together, hang out. She knows she can come over whenever."

Not that she really does. Jack doesn't know what the hell else he can do at this point. He's said he was sorry. He even made it sound like he meant it! He's back off, he's given her time...what the hell is she still so worried about? She's not even a Siren anymore. She ought to be at home, with her father. Not with those asshole Vault Hunters.

But whatever, he'll deal with that some other time.

"Now me? I like the kind of camping that involves cabins with hot tubs in'em."

[badluckbabe]

That was enough to make Jinx chuckle, "That's such a dad response. It's OK you can admit you worry about her. What, are her friends some kind of trouble making thugs? Possibly the kind that steal pokemon and ruin proms?"

As far as Jinx had heard or seen, Team Rocket kind of hard the market cornered on criminal activities

"Ooo now that's my kind of camping. Luxury and scenic sights. Honestly I kept trying to get a hot tub installed at my old base but the boys wanted a regular lap pool so I was out voted."

[thedifferencebetween]

"Let's just say I don't like'em." Because they were the enemy, and had killed both him and Angel. And Nisha, too. He just doesn't understand why Angel would rather be with those people.

"What the hell good's a lap pool? Luxury pool with a Jacuzzi or nothing, come on. My pool back home? Oh man, it's so freaking huge. Fits like 82 people. This one ain't bad, but...we can do better."

And they will, soon. Bigger and better place, bigger better yard, bigger better pool.

"I miss my turbo-mansion."

[brokencode]

Athena had left a gaping hole in the siren's life though. Try as she might, nothing filled it, and it didn't seem to be going away. Though she had both Krieg and Gaige at her side, and Jean and Armin just a few warp pads away, they didn't seem to ease the ache in her chest.

In a way, both Athena and Janey had spoiled Angel. They'd doted on her, taught her what a real family was supposed to be. Without that connection now, she was spiraling.

And there was only one person she knew to go to.

She showed up in her usual blue sundress and hat, though for a time she kept mostly to the side. She was supposed to be here, and didn't think anyone would give her trouble while she gathered her bearings.

She just couldn't bring herself to greet Jack right away.

It was only a nudge from Skagbait that pushed her in the right direction. The Lucario regarded her with a stern look -- it was obvious the creature was uncomfortable being there, but if talking with the strange, double-faced man would get them out of there quickly, then she was willing to encourage the girl.

And so she stepped forward, approaching the man with her hands fidgeting nervously with one another.

"Sorry I'm late, Dad."

[thedifferencebetween]

"Don't worry about it, sweetheart. You showed up."

Jack's not actively trying to be a dick. He doesn't think it's unfair to reference the fact that she a lot of times doesn't.

He looks up at her, expression a little hard to read. He's glad she's here, sure, but the fact that it this much to get her here...it bothers him. It bugs him.

But she is here, he's gotta look at that as the important thing. She's here, she'll see (again!) that she has nothing to be scared of or whatever, and things will be fine.

"Here, have a drink! Cola, 'cause I know you don't do booze." Even if everybody else here was drinking, including the underage guests. Like Jack cares. "Got plenty of cola and lemonade and stuff."

[brokencode]

Try as she might to smile through it, the wince that crossed Angel's face was impossible to hide. He had a point, she was more likely to not show up than to actually be there. It still bothered her, though, having it be thrown in her face when she'd clearly made the effort to be there.

"A drink sounds good, thank you." She started to shift away from him, aiming to grab a drink and then return to him, but made it no more than a step before coming to a stop. She was on edge, and a lemonade wasn't going to stop her leg from twitching, hands from clenching or gut from twisting.

Somewhere in the back of her mind, she recalled an offer that Jack had once made to her. At the time, she had balked at the idea, but maybe if she made just a little bit more effort, he would stop pointed out all of the times she hadn't.

"Actually I... was wondering if I could take you up on that 'first drink' offer."

[thedifferencebetween]

"...seriously?" Jack's eyebrows lift. "Yeah, yeah, sure! Uh...what do ya want? You don't want beer, trust me, beer's only a good first drink if you're like twelve and sneaking it or some shit. Got a couple of wine coolers, I could mix ya something at the bar, we're....we're pretty fully stocked."

Between himself, Felix, and Nisha, they've got pretty much every booze and mixer under the sun. And this is a big deal. A really big deal. She's relaxed enough and finally calmed down enough that she'll come to his house, and have alcohol. It's taken a stupidly long amount of time, but whatever, clearly Jack had been right and being aloof and patient until she broke down had been the right tactic.

Plus, he gets to finally be here for a milestone!

"I'm pretty partial to daiquiris, myself, it's like a candy slushie."

[brokencode]

Regret was quick to gather like a cloud within her head, and nervousness settling like lead within her stomach. She didn't know where to even begin with any of that. What was the difference between wine and a cooler filled with it?

"A... da-keer-ee should be fine, I think."

She hadn't even heard his description, simply latched onto the thing she could remember easiest. As she began to process his words, though, she breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed to be the best option, of those he listed.

"I do... I do really like candy."

[thedifferencebetween]

"Sure, come on, I'll fix ya one."

He gets up and gestures for Angel to follow, wandering into the kitchen through the open sliding glass door that separated it from the backyard.

"It's just light rum, sugar syrup, and a juice blended with ice into a slushy kinda thing. Not too boozy, tastes good...yeah, that's a good choice." Jack's rambling as he pulls out an ice cube tray and gets out the blender. Unsurprisingly, he has drink mixing tools immediately on hand.

"And I make a pretty mean one! 'Course I'm always just making'em for myself, some people around here don't appreciate a good fruity blended drink."