[action - Ecruteak]

[exeggutorhead]

Who: Envy (and a ghost) and YOU
Where: Ecruteak
When: August 16th through 19th
Summary: Envy, like many others, has a less than fun time being followed by a well-intentioned ghost.
Rating: PG-13? Possible CW for discussion of abuse.
Log:


[Why did whatever this was have to look like her? Envy's already talked with Lust about what might be going on, and he's seen the other distressed people popping up on the network. He knows this is just one of those things that happens, and obviously his former master isn't really here.]

[That doesn't stop the cold twist of his stomach every time he catches sight of her out of the corner of his eye. At least the whatever-it-is isn't talking.]

[Now if only he could find a way to get rid of it.]

[He doesn't want to take this to the network, he doesn't want to talk about her to potentially a bunch of random strangers. But he's also not going to be holing up in his hotel room...he hates the thought of just being in a room with even the image of her staring at him. So out and about it is, speedwalking down the sidewalk wherever he goes, hands shoved in his pockets and his head down to avoid looking at her. Maybe if he walks fast enough, he'll lose her. Unfortunately for anyone around him, this makes it really easy for him to smack straight into someone.]

[By day two, someone might catch him emptying a garbage can out in an alley, grim determination on his face. Lust had put a garbage can on her and nothing bad had happened, even if she'd phased on out before very long. And it had been kind of funny. He can do it too.]

[One way or another, eventually he will have gotten rid of the pesky follower. And is still wandering around town looking for ANY kind of distraction, no matter how small. He's got a lot to avoid thinking about.]

Comments

August 17th - Whatever works for garbage fun times

[notachocobo]

[Cloud had been having ghost problems of his own and it was unnerving him more than he'd like to admit. Unnerving him and pushing him towards reliving memories and thinking about things that he really didn't want to deal with again. He did his best to ignore the ghost--to ignore her--but he still caught sight of her out of the corner of his eye; that smiling face, those eyes that were far too hollow to be her but the similarities were enough to get to him.

His pokemon had been doing their best to try and distract him but ultimately he just needed to get away. The more he kept moving the better off he was which is why he's out on a walk, his Sylveon frolicking along behind him while they both pointedly try to ignore the ghost following after them.

It's when he's passing an alley that he stops, frowning slightly as he watches Envy empty out a garbage can, Gongaga letting out a curious chirp as he tilts his head.

...Oh.]

I'm not sure that's going to work.

[Ignore the ghost behind you, Cloud. Just ignore her.]

That works!

[exeggutorhead]

[Envy doesn't look up, his mouth set in a thin line and eyes narrowed down, trying to keep from seeing his former master out of the corner of his eye. He just continues to try and empty out the trashcan in such a way that none of the trash gets on him.]

[Even with this knocking him for a loop, he's not out of it enough that he wants to get covered in garbage.]

If I don't have to look at this thing for a few minutes, that's enough working for me.

[Not to mention actually going through with the act of putting a garbage can over her visage is...well, rebellious. Something that he'd have never even considered unless Lust had already brought it up to him AND gone through with it. If he can do this...maybe it'll be cathartic.]

[notachocobo]

[Well, he does have a point. A little freedom from having to see a ghost is better than nothing. Cloud's just not sure he'd ever have the mental strength to do something like that considering just who his ghost is.

Speaking of, he can feel her over his shoulder and a shudder goes through him, prompting the blonde to take a couple steps forward.]

Someone you don't like, I take it?

[His gaze momentarily shifts to the ghost near Envy, regarding it with a thoughtful frown.]

[exeggutorhead]

[Envy's...not entirely sure he has the strength to do it either, he hadn't been able to before. But damn it he's gonna try.]

Yeah, you could say that.

[It's an almost deadpan delivery, but there's a bit of a grimace to it; Cloud is correct, ding ding ding.]

Always great to see my mother.

[Given that this is day two and he hasn't really slept since this started, he's feeling a bit less secretive than usual. Even though he has no idea who this guy is. But he's not tired or unobservant enough not to have noticed Cloud's own avoidance of his ghost.]

And it's the same for you, right? Someone you're not thrilled to see.

[notachocobo]

[So that was this person's mother. Yeah that sounded like a can of worms that Cloud didn't even want to attempt to open, thanks.

He starts to say something but Envy gets there first and the blonde immediately stiffens a bit.]

...She died because of me.

[Because of his stupidity. Because of his choices.]

I thought I had made peace with it--with her--already.

[But he hasn't.]

16th, evening

[thatwasours]

[inside, for whatever reason, seems way too stifling. well, not for whatever reason, Kaz knows precisely why, but he's opted for ignoring the floating stressor behind him instead of acknowledging why. he's tired of letting this entire situation bother him, so he's not going to. he's not going to give the damn ghost the satisfaction. he's not even going to look at it. even though it's probably already gotten whatever sense of satisfaction it's going to get from the fact that Kaz can't really sleep while it's in the room. which is always.]

[so he's stalking down the street, trying to find somewhere, anywhere else to be. he's considering taking a run to work the tension out of his system (something that was, until he'd gotten here, not an option), when he--]

[--runs directly into another person.]

[exeggutorhead]

[Envy's wound up enough that when he's run into he actually shouts in surprise, staggering a few steps back and looking almost wary, like he's expecting some kind of fight.]

[When he sees that it's just some random guy, that wariness dissolves right away into annoyance.]

Watch where you're going!

[Which isn't exactly a fair thing to get snappy about considering he wasn't watching at all either.]

Hotel Lobby

[no_ufo_ending]

_{[Henry glances up when the lobby door opens. He hasn't been in his hotel room much today because of Reasons. Sadly, that Reason has followed him out to where the snack machines are. Henry is trying really hard to ignore the oozing upper torso of a bald man shrouded in shadow that is protruding from the ceiling as he waits for his Dodtritos to fall into the bin.]}

Hey, Envy...

[exeggutorhead]

[Envy isn't looking up when he walks by Henry--if the other man hadn't spoken up, he might not have even noticed him.]

[But he does stop his speedwalking, lifting his head from its resolute downward stare.]

Oh, hey--

[The movement of the dripping catches his notice, and he glances up...and that glance stays up. What the fuck is that?!]

[He might have been a lot more alarmed if the ghost of his master hadn't been following him around all day.]

Uh...did you know there's a...

[no_ufo_ending]

_{[The coil inside the snack machine turns so, so slowly. He cringes when Envy mentions his little rain cloud and turns his eyes back to the backlit snack haven.]}

My roommate.

[exeggutorhead]

Oh.

[He keeps staring up. Wow. That sure is. Happening.]

I guess I shouldn't really be that surprised.

[no_ufo_ending]

He won't hurt you...he was trapped there just like I was.

_{[WHY WONT THESE CHIPS DROP ANY FASTER.]}

If it weren't for his notes...I'd probably have ended up just like him.

[16th, morning!]

[foolishwren]

<sub>[AS IF TODAY COULDN'T GET ANY WORSE...]

[As Envy makes his way back to the hotel room... he'll hear the telltale sound of something mechanical and probably expensive being smashed to bits.]

[And then a familiar shriek of rage.]</sub>

[exeggutorhead]

[Envy had been so caught up in the emotional turmoil of his own ghost, and then with talking to Lust, that he hadn't thought that maybe Heather might have one too. After all, it hadn't been there when he left earlier.]

[But neither had his.]

[Stupid of him--! As soon as he hears that smashing sound, that enraged scream, he takes off at a full sprint down the hall, trailed by his ghost. He fumbles with the key card to get in, but once he gets it unlocked he doesn't even open it all the way before shoving in. Maybe he should be more cautious about entering, considering, but he's not thinking about that right now.]

Heather! It's not real!

[At least, he's assuming it's another ghost and not an actual intruder, but the former seems more likely. He looks around, trying to take stock of what exactly is happening. Dante's ghost, for the moment, is still out in the hall. Thankfully.]

[foolishwren]

<sub>[The scene in the room is thus: Heather, standing with her arms spread, mid-yell. The room's microwave, in pieces on the floor. And Claudia Wolf, standing about ten feet away from Heather, with a furrowed brow and a lightly-confused frown.]

[When Envy enters the room, Heather whips around to face him and her face is red and furious.]</sub>

No fucking shit, it's not real! It's-- some fucking thing wearing her face, and I woke up with her just-- UGH, why are you still HERE?! GO AWAY!!

_{[She'd turned back to Ghost Claudia midway through her sentence there and gone back to just. Screaming.]}

[exeggutorhead]

[Oh, hell...]

[Envy has only seen this kind of behavior from Heather once before. And that was a long time ago--years ago. And, funnily--or not really funnily at all--it was about this very same person.]

[He takes a slow, cautious step into the room as she screams at the specter. Although after that, he holds back. Not because he thinks she'll hurt him if he gets close, but because if he comes too far in, his "mother" will follow in afterwards, and he gets the feeling that might make all this much worse.]

I know, it's a Pokemon--I've got one too. It won't go away with yelling, trust me. I tried that.

[foolishwren]

_{[Good thinking, Envy. That would definitely make things worse.]}

YEAH? A Pokemon?

What type?

I've got level 100's coming out of my fucking EARS, I'll OBLITERATE it!

<sub>[This is all shouted, spat, straight at the Claudia specter, but yet she doesn't reach for any of her Pokeballs.]

[She remembers good and well what happened the last time she went after Claudia. The last time she tried to 'obliterate' her old friend. Even if this isn't actually her...]</sub>

18th

[armoredsoul]

[Alphonse has his own unwelcome companion following him around. Her silence is almost worse than the last words he'd heard her uttering, and he's taken to walking all over town, firmly ignoring Sloth's--his mother's presence behind him.]

[But it doesn't help the queasy feeling in his stomach, nor the guilt weighing his shoulders down. His walk speeds up, faster and faster, until suddenly he breaks out into a run down the sidewalk, just barely darting around people passing by.]

[It's just fitting that the person he finally crashes into is Envy.]

[exeggutorhead]

[Envy had finally done away with his own ghost mere hours before, and he is exhausted. Both emotionally and physically, because there was very little food or sleep to be had with his mother looming over him for three straight days. Not to mention how difficult the confrontation itself had finally been.]

[He's just wandering through the town in a daze at this point, not feeling like going back to the hotel to sleep, but not much like anything else but mindless walking either.]

[Needless to say, when someone literally RUNS right into him, he gets knocked flat on his ass on the sidewalk with an alarmed shout. But, being himself, he's absolutely dragging whoever just smashed into him down too.]

[IT'S AL. OF COURSE IT'S FUCKING AL.]

What the hell are you doing?!

[He doesn't get creative with the insults or even have that much force behind his annoyed snap as he tries to shove Al away and get back up. He's too tired.]

[armoredsoul]

[He goes down with a yell, not even realizing who it is he's knocked down at first. Al quickly moves to get up, starting to stammer out an apology when he catches sight of Envy's face, and--]

Wh--fuck off!

[Al swats out with a half-hearted backhand, stumbling back about the same time that the ghost catches up. Al freezes and casts her a panicked, stricken look.]

Would you--just go away! Please!

[The ghost simply folds her hands, frowning ever so slightly.]

[exeggutorhead]

[Envy scoots back out of the way of the backhand, pushing himself back up to his feet when he looks up and sees--of course.]

[He's surprised to see her, after so long, but not surprised that she'd be the one following Al around.]

[Honestly, while he doesn't look as panicked as Al does to see her, his eyes are still widened and he opens his mouth as though to say something before closing it again, gritting his teeth. He doesn't take his eyes off of her.]

[It's been a long time.]

Sloth...

Whatever day works best!

[garbagechild]

<sub>[Wrath had been staying with Lust for the duration of the festival, probably unsurprisingly. But after not seeing his 'brother' in person for a number of months since he, Heather, and Alphonse departed for Kanto, he's more than eager to spend some quality time with Envy.]

[Which is why, one morning when he comes down to the inn's lobby and spots that unmissable green hair from across the room, he perks right up from his dozy haze and starts to trot on over.]</sub>

Envy!

_{[He doesn't know. He's been, quite deliberately, kept from visiting big bro for the past couple of days.]}

[exeggutorhead]

[Envy's head whips up at Wrath's voice.]

[There are dark circles under his eyes, he hasn't really slept or even eaten a whole lot since this started. And he's definitely been avoiding Wrath.]

[But he's too exhausted to react quickly enough and just bolt or something before the ghost in the shape of their master walks calmly into view from the hallway behind him.]

[garbagechild]

<sub>[Never has there been a mood whiplash greater than when Wrath, halfway across the lobby and looking generally cheery, locks eyes with the specter of Dante.]

[He goes from peppy to stricken in the space of less than a second.]</sub>

M--

<sub>[Before the word 'Master' can even leave his mouth, he stops dead in his tracks and drops to his knees and elbows, head bowed. Even with almost two years between the last time he did this, there's not even the slightest clumsiness or hesitation. He just drops, like a marionette with cut strings.]

[He'd been trained with a firm hand.]</sub>

[exeggutorhead]

[It's been a long time since Envy's seen that bow.]

[Once, it had been normal, the obviously correct thing to be doing when their master entered a room. Show loyalty, show obedience, avoid any potential anger. To see it now makes his stomach turn.]

Wait--Wrath, you don't have to do that, it's okay--

[He starts forward towards the younger homunculus immediately, crouching down to put a hand on his shoulder. The ghost follows behind him one step at a time.]