victory_road | GHOST TRICK PART ONE: Festival Log!

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GHOST TRICK PART ONE: Festival Log!

Who: Everyone!
Where: Either Ecruteak City or Lavender Town; please mark your toplevel comments accordingly!
When: August 13th-15th
Summary: Celebrate O-bon at a festival near you! For details, see the infopost.
Rating: Will vary from thread to thread. Warn for common triggers if something comes up.
Log:

The streets are lined with NPC-run stalls for food, games, and the assorted tchotchkes of every summer festival you’ve ever seen in your animes! There’s Goldeen Scoop, heaping cones of Swirlix Candy, Test Your STRENGTH (there are two different machines for people and Pokémon; HM04 not required); basically, if you can think of it, it’s there. There will also be a yukata rental stall if you want to go full hog on the cultural side of things. Ecruteak boasts a small stage where the Kimono Girls give a short performance once every two hours; the festivities in Lavender Town are a little quieter, but they also have Haunter-shaped ice cream treats. When you lick them, they Lick you!

On the last evening (August 15th) of the festival in either location, there will be a large bonfire and traditional bon-odori dance in which everyone is welcome to participate. In Lavender Town only, they also set paper lamps afloat in the water past the cliffs.

The closer you get to midnight on the last night of the festival, the more ghosts pop up.

Again, please say which city your character's in and note what dates/times they're there in the header of or within your top--level comment to avoid confusion. Play nice and have fun!

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Oh, pookie...you ever get to the top of anything, you'll see. You gotta prioritize, figure out what's important. And it's the bigger picture. It's a peaceful Pandora. A Pandora where I don't have to kill anybody anymore. But that's just not gonna happen without a whole lotta mess along the way. But it's all worth it, so in the future, kids can grow up on a planet that isn't gonna murder them on the way to school.

[He lets Rhys take another swig and then goes for the flask more forcefully. Enough is enough.]

I mean it, kiddo, give it back. It's my turn now. See...a smart little kitten knows it should be learning from the powerful, wise, older lion. Not trying to piss it off and get his cute little head bitten off. I'm, uh, not made of chances, Rhys.

D-Don't, call me pookie! I have a name. It's Rhys. [ Oh man, the world is spinny. If it could just stay still for a second or two, maybe things wouldn't be so weird. And he could get the hell out of here, like the little tiny sober part of his brain is telling him to do. Instead, he's listening to Jack rabble on about stuff that he ultimately failed to do.

Rhys listens, but he holds the flask away from Jack as far as he can. In his drunken state, he figures tossing it will make him go away. Right? If he's going to talk about lions and kittens and shit, he can pretend the booze he has is some kind of prey, and have the lion take off after it. So he throws it.

And it gets right, right in the center of the bonfire. There's a burst of flame, shooting right up the middle, and- ]

U-Uhh...

[ Rhys tries to scramble to his feet and take off, because once again, his life is now on the line. The world won't stop tilting, though... ]

I'll call you whatever I want. I....

[Holy shit, did Rhys just throw his flask into the fire? He did! he absolutely did!]

You little douchebag! It cost extra to get that monogrammed! I had to draw the goddamned right kind of 'H' for them and everything! Now I gotta do it again!

[He lets the kid get to his feet. And then he pulls up the hem of his robes - he's wearing his jeans underneath - and sticks his foot out. Right in front of Rhys' ankles.]

[ Rhys would have called out something like 'I didn't mean it!' because in reality, he didn't! That was just a really, really bad coincidence. Maybe it was fates way of telling Jack that he had a bad flask? He didn't know, and he didn't care.

He yelps in surprise as something catches one of his feet, and he falls face first into the dirt. The world spins even worse, there's something super gross in his mouth, and oh god he's not feeling good...

As if (literally) eating dirt wasn't embarrassing enough! Rhys rolls over to his side, curled in on himself with his metal hand clasped over his mouth. Because yup, he's going to be sick. In front of a crowd and Handsome Jack himself, Rhys pukes up all the booze he's ingested, and the little food he's eaten.

Cool moves, Rhys. Cool moves. ]

Oh jeezus christ, Rhys...that's...that's just embarrassing...

[Holy hell. Jack sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose. It was funny up until the guy went fetal and started puking.]

No, Doom Boner, get away, leave him alone...

[He stands and nudges the puppy away from Rhys. That's not gonna help things, and god knows if the kid's got anything left in him.]

Okay, kiddo, you...you are done. Festival's over for Rhys. You need water, a shower, and sleep. Let's go.

[Jack reaches down to help Rhys up - not out of any real concern or care, but because hey, this is a really easy way to get the kid alone. And with him.]

[ This is horrible. His night was already kind of cruddy, and then it got worse, and now he was just sick in front of a huge group of people. And he ruined Handsome Jack's flask. His pride is so incredibly damaged right now, to the point where he doesn't even care when Jack comes to pick him up off the ground. The guy who has guaranteed to hurt him in the future. And tried to kill him on Helios (or was that the AI?). And has gotten pissed at him numerous, numerous times in the past like, month.

He clings to Jack the whole way back, unaware that yeah, this is a dumb idea. He's also unaware that he's kind of crying about everything. ] 'M, 'm sorry about Helios. And I'm sorry about you. And I'm sorry about lying, and I'm sorry 'bout- [ hiccup ] s-sorry about your horse, and I'm, I'm, I'm really s-soh-sorry...

Hey, hey, it's okay!

[No, it isn't okay, but this is progress. This is encouraging. Jack holds Rhys up, letting him babble on and on, responds in soothing and encouraging tones. He likes what he's hearing. This is what Rhys should have been saying to him from the start!]

This is what's called a breakthrough, Rhys! You know you screwed up. You feel shitty about it. You're expressing that to me. This is good! Everything's gonna be fine. We're gonna get you all sorted out, kiddo, and we'll be cool. Everything'll be back on track.

[Yes, this is good. And Rhys can replace his flask. He'll take Rhys back home - the festival's pretty much over, and the kid is not paying attention to where they're going. Jack's pretty sure they can fast travel without Rhys even realizing. Okay, so his plans got pushed back, but now they're getting back on the rails. It would be so much easier if he didn't have to friggin coddle and coax Rhys through everything, but they'll work on that.]

N-No, 'snot!

[ The alcohol is totally making Rhys think this is fixing things. Maybe after this is all said and done, they could actually be friends! Things happened. Rhys made mistakes, so did Jack. Just don't tell him that.

He sniffs. His mouth still kind of tastes like puke, and it's really disgusting. ] You're, you're not gonna hurt m-me, right? [ He stumbles to his left for a second before regaining his balance. Somewhat. ] I mean, I was just...

...I just j-just, scared. Of you. 'N I thought lyin' would make it better. Helios 'n stuff is gone, but y'know. It, it isn't gone wher'you are.

Rhys. C'mon. Begging like that's pathetic.

[Jack keeps a steadying arm around Rhys. He's just being a good buddy, getting his drunk friend home, nothing to see here. It's not that he's unmoved by Rhys' pleading, but they're grown men. Grown men don't beg and cry over a simple punishment.]

I'm not going to do anything to you that you can't handle. I get you had your reasons, for lying. It was still a screw up, but I get it. I'm intimidating. And you're just flailing around in the deep end, in a panic. But we'll talk about it in the morning.

[He guides Rhys to the Pokemon Center. He can only fast travel to Goldenrod, but that's all he needs.]

We're gonna get you home, get you cleaned up, get you in bed.

You're, you're not gon'a do anything bad? [ The closer they get to Goldenrod, the more he honestly wants to throw up. Jack's still intent on hurting him, but from what it sounds it won't be terrible? The worst Jack would do would be amputate another limb. Or break something. That's honestly all the bad things his drunk mind can think of right now.

He's still going to cry a bit, because he doesn't want that. ]

'mkay. [ They enter through the Center's sliding doors. The light's bright enough to make Rhys wince a bit. ]

We, we there yet?

No, pumpkin, I'm not gonna do anything bad to you. You're not gonna die, or be horribly mutilated, or anything like that. Chill out. Hell, I had worse done to me when I was a kid.

[Rhys is just gonna get a bone broken. It's really not a big deal! Nothing to cry over. Bones break all the time.]

Shhh, almost. Almost.

[There is a temptation to not break Rhys' arm. It could be a pretty big deal, benevolently granting him a reprieve. Inspire some loyalty. Rhys is...well, he's soft inside. Mess him up, it could just break him completely. And he still might be useful. It might be worth it to toughen him up a little, first.]

[Maybe. He's still pissed about the lying. Rhys should know better! And he's not sure if the kid's sufficiently aware of how badly he's messed up. He'll sleep on it.]

[He gets them both onto the fast travel pad - or whatever they call it here - and selects Goldenrod.]

Now we get to the house, you're going in the shower. You puke on any of my furniture or carpets, I'm cutting off a couple of toes. You're gonna have some scrambled eggs, a bunch of water, and you're gonna sleep. I don't want to deal with your hangover tomorrow.

[ Maybe he...is overreacting a bit? The sobering part of him says no, he's reacting perfectly fine. Nobody in their right state of mind would think that hurting someone over a little lie is a good idea. Or sane. Jack is being Jack, stringing a web of lies underneath him and waiting for the next bait. Rhys would be incredibly stupid to believe this.

But he's also drunk. Anything that's good sounds, is good. Jack's saying he's not going to hurt Rhys a lot, so he must not be. Maybe like, a smack on the hand. A time out. Who said he would do anything severe? If Handsome Jack wanted to say he was going to do something bad, he would say it and brag.

The shower sounded pretty damn nice, especially after throwing up like he had. But the eggs and stuff? Oh god. Rhys waits, watching Jack select Goldenrod on the pad, before he attempts to speak up. Attempts.

He's never really done a fast travel before. He and Athena have been booking it in the wilderness thus far, which...is actually pretty cruddy. Fast travel would be great if you weren't already feeling sick. ] I, I don't, I don't feel good...

[ Think of bed. Think of being horizontal until this all wore off. Think of the next day happy and refreshed, and not on Handsome Jack's shit list. ] Egg'll help?

Oh for the love of...do you need a trashcan?

[Jack pulls back immediately. If Rhys falls, he falls. But Jack's not getting sicked up on, not by this blubbering mess.]

Try and hold yourself together, man! We're almost there.

[At least the fast travel here is...not like it is back home. It's a smooth and quick thing, nothing like being deconstructed and rebuilt. If Rhys can just hold himself together for ten more minutes...]

Eggs absorb all that crap in you that's making you feel shitty. I guess. It's a thing, you eat eggs, your hangover's not as bad.

[ Rhys isn't expecting Jack to let go. In the middle of the new Center, he flops down on the floor in a drunken heap. His world goes all spinny for the millionth time and oh his stomach didn't like that, but he doesn't puke. Thank god, because he's more than embarrassed enough already. Think of how bad it's all going to feel when he's sober.

When he doesn't feel quite as gross, Rhys gets himself up to his feet. He can at least balance himself fairly well without toppling over! He'll just look over to Handsome Jack with a very tired, very...drunk look on his face and sniff. ]

'Kay. I'll eat some I guess.

[ There's a pause. ]

Can you do dippy eggs? With toast so, s-so you can dip 'em. Dippy eggs.

[Jack waits until he's sure Mt. Rhys isn't going to erupt again, and then goes back to supporting the younger man's weight. It's just easier to direct him and make sure he's not gonna bolt, if he's holding onto him.]

[And then Rhys starts putting in freaking menu requests.]

What, like egg and soldiers? I'd have to be mentally deficient not to be able to make that.

[He steers Rhys out and down the street, right to his own front door. Holy shit, it worked! That...was a lot easier than he'd thought it would be.]

Alright, stay with me.

[He gets Rhys inside and deposits him on the couch. He disappears into another part of the house and when he returns, he throws a pair of sweatpants and a Pikachu t-shirt at Rhys.]

Shower's in there. You're on your own for that one, cupcake. Try not to hit your head and bleed to death in my bathroom, please.

[ Rhys could have cried when he made it in the house. He almost considered it when he's lowered onto the couch, and stretches himself out. The world stills itself a bit, and everything in the world is good. Except for his eggs. Jack mentioned eggs, now goddamn if Rhys wants some eggs.

The new pairs of clothes end up either falling on the floor or hitting him in the face at first when Jack points the way to the shower. He eyeballs the door for a moment, before looking to his old boss with a serious expression. ] T-There better be eggs. 'Mkay. I, I really like eggs. [ Rhys' speech is so slurred, it'll be a miracle of Jack can make it out. Sorry buddy.

He makes his way into the shower and spends a little too long in there than he probably should - Pandora didn't know what showers were -, but he eventually emerges from the steamy bathroom in sweats and the Pikachu t-shirt. Rhys is actually ready to sleep right now. It's the booze talking.

Rhys yawns and flops down on the black sofa like he owns it. ]

...Sure, whatever you say, buddy.

[Jack has no idea what Rhys was trying to get across to him. He doesn't care.]

[He does start fixing eggs, though. He likes to cook. He's no gourmet, but he knows what he's doing. It's a good way to quiet the mind. And boy does he need it tonight! Hell of a night. Hell of a night.]

[By the time Rhys is done, there's sheets and a pillow on the couch for him. The smell of eggs and toast is drifting out of the kitchen. Jack's in his usual Hyperion sweater and jeans, at the stove.]

That you, kiddo? Still alive?

[ Rhys has never, ever seen Handsome Jack so formal before. He's used to pictures of his old boss dressed in...whatever the hell he would wear, either wielding a gun and standing proudly near the horizon or being covered from head to toe in the blood of his foes. Here, Jack looks normal. Normal person, normal person goals, normal person needs.

The sober part of him absolutely hates this. AI Jack tried to kill him. He was the reason why Helios went down in the first place. But now, seeing Jack as an actual person complicates things. Was Nakayama's drive really that buggy?

It's so hard to get rid of the years of admiration Rhys had for Jack in exchange for dislike. Especially when he's drunk.

Especially especially when he's drunk, and Jack just baked him food to make his hangover less of a bitch.

The shower helped to clear his head a little, at least. There's still some kind of drunken haze clouding his judgement, but it's winding down. A little. Rhys has gotten drunk before, yeah. But on moonshine? Nope. ] 'Sme!

[ Goddamn does something smell good, though. ] 'S meee.

Holy shit, you're gone! You're...you're not gonna remember this tomorrow.

[Which is too bad, this is some pretty compelling 'I'm not an asshole' evidence. At this point it's more a matter of personal pride than actually wanting Rhys' loyalty.]

Alright, here you go.

[Jack sets a plate on the coffee table. Two soft boiled eggs in those little egg holders and a plate of toast strips. And a large glass of water. He flops himself down in the matching leather chair, with a plate of runny scrambled eggs. He props his bare feet up on the coffee table and flips on the TV for background noise and so he doesn't have to make in depth conversation with Rhys.]

Eat that, then sleep. There's a trash can there, because I swear to god Rhys. I swear to god, you get sick on any of my stuff....I rent this place, cupcake. Use the can as though your life depended on it.

[ Oh god, does that look good. Even though he puked, like, an hour ago (was it that long? he doesn't even know.), Rhys is starved. He first picks up the glass and drains it about halfway, before picking up his eggs and starting to pick at them. It's kind of hard at first, since the eggs keep sliding around and he's too goddamn drunk to eat them the right way.

Eventually he just stabs his toast in the yolks, and eats that way.

Jack sits nearby with his own plate (weird, he's never seen his boss actually eat!), turning up the tv enough to where it just makes white noise. Jack's threat comes through loud and clear, but he finds himself giggling about it instead of actually feeling like he's in trouble. Handsome Jack, renting a house. Funny!

His head lolls back on the couch as the channels flip on. The news, something else Rhys doesn't really care about. He blinks slowly. ] God, these programs suck. [ He'll say that loud enough for Jack to hear before stabbing back into his eggs. ]

Is that a surprise?

[Jack snorts. He settles on one of the few shows he kind of watches, some cartoon for grownups about a bunch of foul mouthed Pokemon. Stupid, but funny. He settles back to eat his own dinner and stares at the TV without paying much actual attention. The whole weekend's catching up to him. He's fifty, it's probably past midnight, he's tired. He'll be sore in the morning.]

[And now he's got Rhys to deal with tomorrow. Ugh. And it's Monday, he's got to work. All the work. He's running a small business, he's got his Rocket duties, he's got new Pokemon to organize and research and test out. And he's still intent on vacation. He made a promise, after all.]

[One of the Handsome Cats hops up onto his armrest and he idly scratches its head. Stupid animals.]

Lots of things on this planet suck. And more sucky things just keep on popping up.

Nooo, not r'lly.

[ Rhys looks sleepily over to the side, watching curiously as Jack scratches one of the many Meowths bunking out in his rental. Either Jack had a thing for Meowth, or he was using them for something. Well, as long as he was treating them right. Which it seemed like he was, from his drunken point of view. That Meowth on the armrest looked pretty damn happy. ]

'Cept for those? [ He points to the little Meowth. ] Money Shot's pretty great. [ Rhys yawns...rather obnoxiously. ] He 'n Loader get 'long great.

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GHOST TRICK PART ONE: Festival Log!

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