"HONEY, I'M HOOOOME!" James kicked the door to the manor open and staggered in with a huge duffle bag clutched in his arms. It had been a good while since he'd left to go get his Violet badge but now he was back in town and honestly? He missed it.
He was still wearing his Violet City Champ shirt and had Hot Stuff wrapped around his shoulders for warmth against the spring chill. JW tossed his bag unceremoniously to the floor and casting around for Assface. "Now, where's my princess?"
The Stunky showed up to greet JW before Jack did, slinking into the room and approaching with the same aloofness she always displayed.
Jack appeared a couple minutes later, in an oversized sweatshirt and pajama pants, looking a little on the tired side. It's been a weird couple of weeks, his conversation with Tim shook him up a lot. Not that he's thinking about it, at least when he could avoid it.
When he spied the bushy tail of his (second) favorite Pokemon on the planet, JW crouched down to reach out to her in hoops of scooping her up so he could stare into her hilariously-shaped little face.
"There you are, tch-tch-tch, c'mere!"
The sound of his roomie were tended to in good time. Once he had the Stunky in his arms, he stood back up to greet his pal. It felt...nice having someone genuinely glad to see him.
"Thought I'd be back sooner, but you know how it is." He tapped the frame of his glasses. "Got the pass to FLY though. I just need something to fly on."
It didn't take much to coax Assface over, and less to convince her she wanted to be picked up. She hadn't gotten much attention before her trainer...went through whatever he went through and came back different. She'll take all the attention she can get, despite her aloof demeanor.
"Hey, cool, cool. That's a handy one, huh? Flying. Get ya around a lot faster. I think there's a big ass dinosaur thing people ride on... I dunno." Jack didn't have badges, he didn't know how it all worked. But he was sure he'd totally seen big ass dinosaur looking things with people riding on them. "I dunno," he repeated, raking a hand through his hair.
"Nothing...nothing much happened here while ya were gone. Oh, I finally got my buddy from home to sit the fuck down and talk to me, so that happened."
In the middle of planting smooches on the top of Assface's head, JW noticed that his buddy's tone was...kind of off. He unburied his face from purple fur to get a better look at Jack.
He tilted his head so that he could look at him with his "good" eye, even though he had glasses. It was a habit. "Doesn't sound like it went too well..."
JW gently sat Assface back down on the floor and grabbed up his duffle strap again to drag it further into the house.
"Yeah? I dunno. It's a lot, I learned a lot, kinda wished I hadn't. Let's...let's just say that I might have really lucked up by ending up here when I did? Cuz...I guess I shove a dangerous alien artifact into my face and go bugfuck nuts!"
That was the gist of what he'd gathered from one Timothy Lawrence, the only person in existence who knew enough about Jack to have the answers. The picture painted had been a pretty grim one.
He hadn't planned on talking to his roomie about it, but...the dude asked.
"Kinda getting why people don't like me now! But for fuck's sake, still not me, cuz I'm not all messed up yet!"
JW dragged the duffle to the living room and sat on the sofa arm to face Jack. He couldn't bring himself to approach one of the big arm chairs because dogs. He furrowed his brow as he listened and eventually ended up frowning.
"That's fucked up." On one hand, he could understand it. Like, if he met the younger version of a horrible evil no good guy he would feel super weird. But. He had the capacity to not act like an asshole about it.
Were folks being mean to Jack without his knowing? JW felt his hackles go up. Sure Jack was fucking annoying sometimes, but he wasn't a cruel guy. James brought his fingertips together, elbows balanced on his knees.
"Glad you know that's not you though. If you haven't done anything, you haven't done anything and that's their fuckin' problem."
"I mean...okay, I've made some shady business deals and I admit it, I've...I've dipped into insider trading. I've modded company equipment against warranty. I did kill a guy but he was trying to kill me at the time! That's self defense, that's what anybody'd do if some lunatic was trying to shoot'em in the back! After I told him that even though he was totally a traitor, even though he made a deal with the actual bad guys, he could just go. But he tried to kill me."
But really, in the grand scheme of things, Jack doesn't feel he's done anything that makes him a bad guy. And that's just Hyperion, you gotta do some dirty deals and a little backstabbing to get ahead.
"But, uh, sounds like I ramp things up and...okay, look. I found...I found something of the other Jack's. And it's creepy, Jay Dubs. Like super friggin creepy."
JW leaned back a little and blinked rapidly when Jack dropped the fact that he'd killed a guy on him. Sure, it was in self-defense and JW had no problem with that, he was the last person to judge about drastic things done in self-defense. But it was still sort of a lot?
"That'd--that'd do it...damn." JW had to wonder...what did he find? And did he want to see it? A morbid part of him did, but...what would that do to Jack knowing his roomie knew? Also it might be really creepy and he thought about how he'd feel if he met the younger, hotter version of somebody who was incredibly evil in his own world.
"I swear to a god I don't believe in that it's a case of like...trophies. But not normal trophies like 'Manager of the Month' or 'Least On Site Accidents', it's shit like...like my old boss's beard. That's weird, right?"
Normal people didn't keep other people's facial hair on display in their home. Or...other stuff. Jack had taken the most bizarre items out and locked them away already, but the rest...it was just baffling and mildly upsetting.
"But there's also like stuff I can tell is normal reminders of people stuff? Like this woman I'm nuts about's hat, and a friend's scarf... So yeah, the only conclusion I can draw is I go bugfuck nutso."
It was, in fact, creepy. James made a face. He could only imagine how he'd feel if he had rewound time only to find out what had happened in Westchester. His heart ached a little bit. But also, tact was not his highest stat.
"Well I'm probably not gonna be shoving my face into any weird alien artifacts that try and fuse with me, so I'm guessing we don't have to worry. It's not like it just happened, I fucked with a weird alien thing and that did it."
This was, at least, Jack's understanding of circumstances.
He sighed and raked his hair back, before flopping down in a chair, legs kicked out in front of him.
"But hey, I saved the moon, so...I dunno, let's just call other-Me a martyr and try not to think about it anymore, I guess."
JW had folded his arms at this point and was drumming one set of fingers against his upper arm. He hoped it was only because of the weird alien artifact. It had to be. Jack seemed pretty stable. JW's own mental nonsense had been pretty evident from a young age, even if people in the 50's didn't know what to look for.
"Yeah, let's go with that. I barely remember the guy, to be honest--I've hung out with you way more."
He was silent for another beat. His eyes wandered the lavish living room, wandered over Assface who was grooming herself, over the lined and weary face of his friend. "But hey, if you ever start feeling weird up here," he pointed to his own temple. "I'unno. Maybe I can help? I, uh..."
How did you tell your best friend that you had one of the most stigmatized mental illnesses out there?
Jack didn't seem like it was any big thing JW had just shared. People have weird brain stuff, he's not gonna judge. Unless JW did it to himself, but even then, with what he's learned...he doesn't have much of a leg to stand on there. He'd apparently done it to himself. Does it to himself.
Whatever. Point was, he was just mildly curious.
"Thanks. I might take ya up on that, I ever feel like shit's not clicking right up there."
JW fiddled with a loose thread on his jeans. He doubted Jack would have that big of a reaction but man, it was weird to talk about. People got ideas. Especially back home. Momentarily he remembered Betty's smug face in the newspaper and frowned.
"So I miiight be a little schizophrenic?" James managed to squeak out with a tilt of his head. "Well. More like a lot. Let me tell you, finally being medicated after almost thirty years and then taken right back off of it is a hell of a ride."
"Yeah did ya lead with the 'little bit' for downplaying it cuz you're from somewhere people give a shit? If it's that, I don't give a shit, you're obviously not a gibbering lunatic. And even if ya were, I've known some fun gibbering lunatics!"
Jack grinned, really not bothered by it. So his buddy had some issues, who didn't? Plus it really would be helpful, if he ever felt like things were going wrong in his own head. How did you even know?
"But no, seriously, I'm glad you got what you need. And I appreciate the expert insight. I start losing it, you know what to do."
"Well I had it anyway. Been freeballin' in this place for like two years now. Woof."
He shrugged his bony shoulders and tugged his Poke'Gear out of his pocket.
"This thing's been a life-saver though. Start doubting yourself? Just look through the camera. Turns out hallucinations haven't caught up with the twentieth century yet."
The relief that filled him was like coming up for air. Of course his good pal Jack wouldn't be weird about it. He'd worried for nothing.
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almosthandsome) wrote2020-12-26 12:09 pm
Action [Backdated to March 18]
He was still wearing his Violet City Champ shirt and had Hot Stuff wrapped around his shoulders for warmth against the spring chill. JW tossed his bag unceremoniously to the floor and casting around for Assface. "Now, where's my princess?"
no subject
Jack appeared a couple minutes later, in an oversized sweatshirt and pajama pants, looking a little on the tired side. It's been a weird couple of weeks, his conversation with Tim shook him up a lot. Not that he's thinking about it, at least when he could avoid it.
"Hey there buddy! Welcome home."
no subject
"There you are, tch-tch-tch, c'mere!"
The sound of his roomie were tended to in good time. Once he had the Stunky in his arms, he stood back up to greet his pal. It felt...nice having someone genuinely glad to see him.
"Thought I'd be back sooner, but you know how it is." He tapped the frame of his glasses. "Got the pass to FLY though. I just need something to fly on."
no subject
"Hey, cool, cool. That's a handy one, huh? Flying. Get ya around a lot faster. I think there's a big ass dinosaur thing people ride on... I dunno." Jack didn't have badges, he didn't know how it all worked. But he was sure he'd totally seen big ass dinosaur looking things with people riding on them. "I dunno," he repeated, raking a hand through his hair.
"Nothing...nothing much happened here while ya were gone. Oh, I finally got my buddy from home to sit the fuck down and talk to me, so that happened."
And he was still a little shook up from it all.
no subject
He tilted his head so that he could look at him with his "good" eye, even though he had glasses. It was a habit. "Doesn't sound like it went too well..."
JW gently sat Assface back down on the floor and grabbed up his duffle strap again to drag it further into the house.
"You good, Jack?"
no subject
That was the gist of what he'd gathered from one Timothy Lawrence, the only person in existence who knew enough about Jack to have the answers. The picture painted had been a pretty grim one.
He hadn't planned on talking to his roomie about it, but...the dude asked.
"Kinda getting why people don't like me now! But for fuck's sake, still not me, cuz I'm not all messed up yet!"
no subject
"That's fucked up." On one hand, he could understand it. Like, if he met the younger version of a horrible evil no good guy he would feel super weird. But. He had the capacity to not act like an asshole about it.
Were folks being mean to Jack without his knowing? JW felt his hackles go up. Sure Jack was fucking annoying sometimes, but he wasn't a cruel guy. James brought his fingertips together, elbows balanced on his knees.
"Glad you know that's not you though. If you haven't done anything, you haven't done anything and that's their fuckin' problem."
no subject
But really, in the grand scheme of things, Jack doesn't feel he's done anything that makes him a bad guy. And that's just Hyperion, you gotta do some dirty deals and a little backstabbing to get ahead.
"But, uh, sounds like I ramp things up and...okay, look. I found...I found something of the other Jack's. And it's creepy, Jay Dubs. Like super friggin creepy."
no subject
"That'd--that'd do it...damn." JW had to wonder...what did he find? And did he want to see it? A morbid part of him did, but...what would that do to Jack knowing his roomie knew? Also it might be really creepy and he thought about how he'd feel if he met the younger, hotter version of somebody who was incredibly evil in his own world.
"...What is it?"
no subject
Normal people didn't keep other people's facial hair on display in their home. Or...other stuff. Jack had taken the most bizarre items out and locked them away already, but the rest...it was just baffling and mildly upsetting.
"But there's also like stuff I can tell is normal reminders of people stuff? Like this woman I'm nuts about's hat, and a friend's scarf... So yeah, the only conclusion I can draw is I go bugfuck nutso."
no subject
"Let's try to not do that," he said helpfully.
no subject
This was, at least, Jack's understanding of circumstances.
He sighed and raked his hair back, before flopping down in a chair, legs kicked out in front of him.
"But hey, I saved the moon, so...I dunno, let's just call other-Me a martyr and try not to think about it anymore, I guess."
no subject
"Yeah, let's go with that. I barely remember the guy, to be honest--I've hung out with you way more."
He was silent for another beat. His eyes wandered the lavish living room, wandered over Assface who was grooming herself, over the lined and weary face of his friend. "But hey, if you ever start feeling weird up here," he pointed to his own temple. "I'unno. Maybe I can help? I, uh..."
How did you tell your best friend that you had one of the most stigmatized mental illnesses out there?
"I got some experience."
no subject
Jack didn't seem like it was any big thing JW had just shared. People have weird brain stuff, he's not gonna judge. Unless JW did it to himself, but even then, with what he's learned...he doesn't have much of a leg to stand on there. He'd apparently done it to himself. Does it to himself.
Whatever. Point was, he was just mildly curious.
"Thanks. I might take ya up on that, I ever feel like shit's not clicking right up there."
no subject
JW fiddled with a loose thread on his jeans. He doubted Jack would have that big of a reaction but man, it was weird to talk about. People got ideas. Especially back home. Momentarily he remembered Betty's smug face in the newspaper and frowned.
"So I miiight be a little schizophrenic?" James managed to squeak out with a tilt of his head. "Well. More like a lot. Let me tell you, finally being medicated after almost thirty years and then taken right back off of it is a hell of a ride."
no subject
Jack grinned, really not bothered by it. So his buddy had some issues, who didn't? Plus it really would be helpful, if he ever felt like things were going wrong in his own head. How did you even know?
"But no, seriously, I'm glad you got what you need. And I appreciate the expert insight. I start losing it, you know what to do."
no subject
He shrugged his bony shoulders and tugged his Poke'Gear out of his pocket.
"This thing's been a life-saver though. Start doubting yourself? Just look through the camera. Turns out hallucinations haven't caught up with the twentieth century yet."
The relief that filled him was like coming up for air. Of course his good pal Jack wouldn't be weird about it. He'd worried for nothing.