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!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Walter shook his head. "I was only told when my birthday was. There was never any celebration about it." Even then it wasn't entirely clear exactly what day he had been born. It wasn't like it mattered too much, it was just a date. The Wish House didn't give any of the orphans in it's care extra attention on their birthdays and there was still the chance of being sent to the Water Prison for whatever reason. Walter hadn't realised birthday parties were a thing most people had until he was in his twenties.

Eyeing the Elgeym, Assumption slowly waved from beside Walter's ankle.

"That's...a really big bummer, actually." Where had this guy been where birthdays didn't matter? Rhys came from the year 2800-something, and people still celebrated and went crazy. The intensity of partying kind of different between people and their age, but still. They partied hard.

Rhys sets his hands on his hips, shaking his head. "When's your birthday? If it's close enough we should just get something to eat. Like a little doughnut or something. Kind of like in honor of you, you know?" There's no way he can just let someone get away without having a proper birthday bash.

This isn't proper by any means, but it's close enough.

Loader hums something by Rhys' ankles, wandering forwards to Assumption and chirping happily! He raised a hand and the three little fingers lit up, one after another...kind of like it was waving.

The cult of Silent Hill was, by now, infamous for it's cruelty to children and indoctrination, teaching them that the world was a cold, heartless place by example. Not having a birthday party didn't even rank against the other tortures he had known, such as being tossed into a cell to be forgotten for misreading the Scriptures, tossed out onto the streets to 'experience the world' or forced to drink leeches.

As such, the mention of doing anything for his birthday blindsided Walter. He had known one act of kindness in his entire life - why would a complete stranger want to honour his birthday? He couldn't hide his surprise behind his usual placid expression and it took him a few moments to form a response. "Why would you do that for me?"

Assumption's eyes widened and he looked to his own paw. He couldn't do that! Instead he used his bone club to tap on the ground in reply, to match the pattern of Loader's 'wave'.

If only Rhys knew what this guy had gone through. Not even people on Pandora was that senselessly cruel. At least, as far as he knew.

"...'Cause you deserve it?" He shrugs. "Imagine all the shit you've gone through in the last, like, year. Some of that stuff has to be pretty bad, right? Why not just celebrate you living through all of that?"

Loader was twirling around Rhys' ankles all the while, hovering up a little closer when Assumption knocked on the ground with his club.

"Unless you don't want to have a party. Which is fine, it's just fine. Some people would rather not, so it's up to you."

Walter opened his mouth then shut it, still clearly stunned by such a display of...kindness. The last time he had experienced any sort of compassion the act had led him to tears but he held back from crying or showing just how moved he was. Yet.

"This is too much." He looked over the party they were currently attending. If this was what every party was like, it'd be too much and far too overwhelming for Walter to handle, with far too many people. He cleared his throat. "But. It would be nice to get something to eat." He spoke carefully, half expecting the offer to be taken back or dismissed as a 'joke'. He clasped his hands together, waiting for Rhys to laugh him off.

Assumption knocked on the ground again, beaming at Loader.

Was it too much? Rhys didn't know. But then again, he lived a normal life compared to what this guy did. He couldn't imagine growing up in a place where nobody gave a shit. Or showed that they gave a shit by doing horrible things to you. Rhys can't say he's come across situations like this before, but it's getting to him. It makes him pretty damn sad.

But when Walter shows interest in food, he smiles. "Sounds good. You point the way and tell me about anything you think looks good. How's that?"

People might be absolute sick fucks out there in the world, but Rhys won't be.

Loader circles around Assumption once or twice, before hovering up to float next to Walter's shoulder.

He hesitated. Rhys had said it would be for his birthday. "I was born in June. So it's too late for a birthday celebration." he murmured. When Loader rose up he shifted, turning his head to catch a look at him. Walter took in the strangely human appearance it had, as his eyes caught on the lines on it's forehead; they reminded him of the runes used by the Order.

Assumption turned his attention from Loader, to Rhys. It approached him slowly, poking his legs with it's bone before retreating closer to Walter. like a child hiding behind their parents legs after poking a stranger.

Rhys shrugs nonchalantly. "Better late than never, right? I didn't really know you until a few minutes ago, so we can cut some slack." He'll look over and give a little smile. "If it makes you feel any better, I didn't give one of my friends a birthday present for them until two months already went by." College, y'know. College.

He looks down at the tapping on his legs, giving Assumption a smile before it dashed off to Walter. Cute. "So how 'bout it? Some of the vendors down there look pretty good..."

Walter took a few more moments to fully process that Rhys was being genuine, there wasn't some hidden trap or malicious motive behind his offer. He turned his head and actually smiled - not the placid, mild look he usually had on his face but something that touched his eyes.

"Yes. I'd like that. I don't recognise the food they offer, however." At Walter's acceptance, Assumption bounced on the spot happily.

Edited 2016-08-24 23:30 (UTC)

There we go. That's a smile that Rhys can see is true. He returns the smile with one of his own, nodding. "That sounds good. I...kind of doesn't either to be honest, but it's better that way, right? Kind of like gives you the element of surprise." As long as you don't eat anything weird.

"Might as well get our buddies something to eat too, right? Sounds good, Loader?" He called to his pokemon who was still nearby Walter, who chimed. Sounds like a good idea!

Surprise. He had very few of those in the past, fewer still that hadn't been outright unpleasant. But given Rhys would be eating with him, they would both be in for whatever surprise came up. He listened to the chiming Loader replied with, his interest further piqued. It didn't sound like anything he had heard before. "What kind of Pokemon is 'Loader'?"

Assumption responded in kind to Loader, tugging on Walter's trouser leg. By now he was used to Assumption's desire to be carried around; He simply plucked the Cubone up, tucking him in his arm.

He knows the answer to this question. "Loader is a...uhh...." These names were always so hard to recognize. Back on Pandora, everything had easy names. Rakks, Skags. You know. Easy words that had at least four letters to it. "An Elgyem, I think?" A quick nod from Loader confirms this. "Elygem, yeah. That's Loader."

There's another pokeball inside of his bag, containing the lazy Meowth that none other than Handsome Jack gave him. "Then I got Money Shot- he's in my bag. He gets kind of sleepy after he pigs out." Probably because Jack kept him around for what purpose, really?

...He also forgets to tell Walter that hey, he didn't name Money Shot Money Shot. That was not his idea...

Given Walter's lack of experience with human intimacy he wasn't even aware of what a 'money shot' was. His education had only taught him what the act of sex was and why people did it; he hadn't even been taught that it was enjoyable or meant to be a loving act.

"This is Assumption," He tilted his head to the Cubone, who perked up at hearing it's name, "and I also have Darkness." While he...liked having one of them out with him, he didn't want to have them both out constantly. In a way he was getting used to having the option of company and having both Pokemon out without reason seemed excessive.

"And my name is Walter." He still didn't know this person's name. But he didn't exactly know how to ask. He had so rarely been outright told a person's name before in the past ten years.

Assumption, Darkness. Those were both...really, really dark (and kind of creepy) names for pokemon, but hey! Who is he to judge? Handsome Jack named his Meowth freakin' Money Shot, so it's not like he can judge a person by their nicknames they choose.

Oh hey, he should introduce himself. Duh.

"Oh-hoho, right. I should probably introduce myself, right? 'Specially if I'm going to help celebrate a birthday y'know, so I should, uh."

Rhys, stop.

"Uhh, I'm Rhys."

Rhys' rambling didn't put off Walter. As a teenager he had been very prone to stuttering when trying to talk to people, the few times he attempted it. He took a few steps towards the food booths, waiting for Rhys to join him before continuing onwards.

He looked him over again, taking in Rhys' differently coloured eyes and mechanical hand. Medically speaking, he was a very interesting person to look at. Such technology wasn't available in his world. If someone lost an arm, they'd simply have to live with the stump for the rest of their lives.

Walter nodded at his arm. "Where did you get that?" He knew better than to ask how Rhys lost his arm. Asking how injuries happened was something that had to be asked quietly, away from any who might hear and realise questions were being asked.

Oh, little would Walter know that things were different for Rhys! Everything he owns that isn't natural, from his arm to his eye to the port in his head, it was all voluntary. And he actually doesn't mind bragging- his arm was the talk of Hyperion for a while. There was commitment, right there!

"I had it done up on Helios. Where, uh, where I came from." Rhys flips his palm upwards, curling and uncurling it for Walter. "I struck an Eridium mining deal and got a huge raise, and I wasn't going to get any farther in data mining without some help, so..."

Rhys shrugs. He wasn't sick or hurt when he got these things done. Rhys is basically saying he sacrificed a healthy arm and a functioning eye for the sake of a promotion. "I figured, why not?"

Walter watched his arm, fascinated. He didn't know what 'Eridium mining' was but data mining he had vaguely heard of during his student days. At the idea of it being voluntary, Walter was actually impressed and it briefly showed on his face. After all, he had 'seeparated from his flesh' to attain the power of Heaven and gain the means to awaken the Holy Mother. Being willing to give up parts of himself for new abilities or powers was something Walter respected.

"So your new arm assists with that? I'm not familiar with data mining. I studied medicine before I died."

"Yeah. It's uh, kind of frowned upon at work, but I did it enough to get me through." And then some. "Not that anybody higher than me cared, but, uhh."

Did this guy just say he died? Like, died?

Rhys has met tons of people from other worlds where they escaped injury or certain death (like himself? maybe?), but never before has he met someone who actually keeled over and died. That's...weird. Unnatural. Kind of sad.

"Did you, did you just say you, y'know. Died?"

To be fair, after being dead for a decade the shock of it fades - and even at the moment of death he had known he would return as a spirit. The Scriptures had said so, and he had followed the 21 Sacraments for the Ascent of the Holy Mother to the letter.

"Yes. I was a ghost for...ten years, before I awoke here. I remember that I was twenty four when I died." Ghosts don't exactly age after their death. Subconsciously he lifted his hand and touched his neck, over the whole, unbroken skin over his carotid artery. If anything, he was more uncomfortable with suddenly being alive again than he ever was with being dead. "I don't understand how I'm alive. Or why."

"Wow. That's..." Rhys doesn't even know what to say about that. What did you say to a guy who's been dead for ten years and comes back from the dead? Oh man, that's heavy! Or sorry for your loss? That's really, really creepy.

But he's not going to tell Walter that! He's gone twenty four years with no freakin' birthday party- the last thing he probably wants to hear is how Rhys is creeped out by the fact that he's talking to a ghost, more or less. "Interesting."

Probably not the best word, but hey.

"Wish I could tell you, but I can't." He shrugs, running a hand through his hair. "Welcome to the land of the living, huh?"

"It's very different to the world I knew." Going from the world of Silent Hill and Ashfield apartments, his Otherworlds full of fleshy, human and canine and bug-like monsters that openly attacked him and ghosts that shrunk away from him to the world of Pokemon was...jarring, to say the least. "There's a lot of things to get used to."

He paused in front of a stand, glancing at the sweets on display. He didn't recognise any of them, but he did know what ice cream was - 'Mochi Ice Cream' was on a label in front of a collection of round, soft looking balls, with flavours listed in front of them and a price. He hesitated, before asking Rhys, "Have you had these ice creams before?"

Rhys honestly isn't sure what he's eaten today. He's gone from place to place ordering whatever, stuffing his face full of whatever. He may not know what he's eaten, but hey man it's been worth it thus far.

"Maybe? Half of the stuff I've gotten I don't even know what it was." He shrugs, offering Walter a smile! "Wanna find out?"

Walter nodded. Even if it wasn't...good, he could stomach a lot of foods. "I'm familiar with ice cream, but not...Moch-y?" He frowned. It looked like it hadn't been spelt right. Regardless he ordered some (drawing back a little into himself when the vendor laughed at how he pronounced it) and was received it, picking a strawberry flavoured one gently and biting it in half to try it.

He certainly hadn't eaten anything quite like it. But it was fruity and fresh and delicious and he hadn't had anything so sweet. He immediately ate the other half, as if it might be taken from him for hesitating.

Rhys has to frown at the vendor when Walter gets laughed at. Jesus, it's not like he can say it right either. Moo-chi? What kind of ice cream name is that? Just name it ice cream, really.

He tosses his money at the person dishing up the ice cream as they're given their deserts, poking at his before watching Walter eat. So if this guy never had a birthday, did he never have sweets? Presents? Birthday cake? The way he was absolutely inhaling his food, Rhys had to wonder.

Honestly, Rhys isn't sure whether to laugh because that's funny, or feel sad because that kind of confirms his previous thoughts. "Is it good?"

Walter nodded. "Really good."

He had eaten another one before noticing that Rhys was watching him. He was quite used to people murmuring and giving him unfriendly looks, but Rhys wasn't grimacing or frowning at him. Just smiling. He honestly didn't know how to respond to positive attention. He savoured the flavour lingering in his mouth and realised. "You haven't tried yours yet."

GHOST TRICK PART ONE: Festival Log!

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