I'll tell you all how the story ends

[cleartranquil]

Who: Ghost Quest kids and all those who want to see them.
What: So as it turns out, going against the label might've been a bad move. Who knew, right? 
When: Feb 3rd and after 
Where: Pride HQ
Warnings: Talk of torture, aftermath of violence, aftermath of brainwashing, dudes there's some dark stuff.

For the past three days, the troublemakers and ghost helpers of Pride Records were kept locked away from their friends and their bands. 

As far as everyone else knew, they were just gone. And then they were back. 

They are all worse for wear, some far more than others and some much more mentally than physically, but they are all returned to their penthouses, finally, at the end of their ordeals. 

But, at least they're back. Somewhat in one piece. For the most part. 

Comments

Genos | MÄNTICORE

[wounds]

[Genos only looks a bit roughed up, a few bruises along his neck and places he can cover.

He doesn't look to worse for wear, because all of his torture was mental. As soon as he gets back to the penthouse, he goes straight for all of the lyrics he's written about Saitama and starts ripping them up. The songs have already been recorded, but at least he hast the satisfaction of destroying these words.

How could he? How could he think so highly of somebody who killed his entire family?]

[sharktrash]

[ Squalo does look a little worse for wear, though it's mostly due to the fact that he hasn't slept well (or possibly at all) for the last three days. He guessed that possibly the evil spirits that haunted him in the kitchen had stolen half of his band away or at least had something to do with it -- since as always, nobody told him anything. No need to say, he wasn't exactly happy with their manager either (though at least this time he vaguely mentioned things 'will be fine', so Squalo didn't try starting a fight out of fear of making it worse). ]

[ He's both relieved and a little enraged when he finally hears the familiar steps, spots the familiar faces, they're back, they're alive, but also WHERE THE FUCK HAVE YOU BEEN? WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?!! and he's just about to scream that at Genos' back once he realizes what he's doing. ]

[ Alright, so he sometimes ripped up an unsuccessful rhyme, but this was... extensive. He approaches very carefully. ]

...what's wrong?

[wounds]

[There were pages of these lyrics, enough to full up an entire book, if he were so inclined. And he keeps ripping them up into tiny shreds, even as Squalo speaks to him.

He feels hollowed out, betrayed. He trusted Makoto implicitly. He would have jumped off a cliff if the man said he'd catch him. But not now, not when he believes that he's the cause of his entire town being razed.]

... Ever felt like everything you knew was a lie?

[He sounds tired. So tired, and so exhausted- drained like he hadn't slept in two weeks.]

[sharktrash]

[ Ah, shit. That's no good. Sure, most of them were incredibly gay but there was also quite a bunch of songs worth salvaging in there. He tries to locate any of those in the pile of not-yet-ripped papers. ]

...funny you'd ask that.

[ He flexes his mechanical fingers, before realizing that shit, Genos is seriously upset and his flat sarcasm is definitely not gonna help with that. ]

[ He walks up to him -- crouches next to him if he's sitting on the floor -- and tries to get him to look at him. ]

Somewhat. Not -- maybe not everything. But even if I haven't, I'll try to understand. If you're willing to talk.

[wounds]

[There's still a few, Majestic has survived, for now.

His gaze is still locked on the sheets as he tears them up until they're completely illegible.]

You know I'm supposed to be a machine, but I was human before too. When I was younger and still a real human being- [of course he doesn't think of himself as human anymore] my entire town was destroyed by a mad cyborg. [Crumple, rip, tear] I survived, but my body didn't. I begged somebody for my robotic body- I wanted revenge for my family, my friends, my town. I had to watch them all die in front of me.

And then, years later, I met Saitama. [It's said with such a mix of hurt and adoration.] The person I've been writing about this whole time. [The ripping turns vicious.] My teacher, my hero, I've never looked up to somebody that much in my entire life.

But he know that cyborg, he was the reason the cyborg was even there- [And then he starts tearing up- rage, grief and exhaustion.] I trusted him, and he was the reason my family died.

[sharktrash]

[ He'll gently shift so it's behind his back, pick it up and shove it into his back pocket when he's sure Genos is looking the other way. Look, break-ups can be ugly, maybe he'll thank him once emotions have run their course and he realizes someone being a jerk doesn't immediately ruin everything they might have inspired -- ]

[ Oh. ]

[ He fights the urge to pipe in a few times, but no, let him talk. Let him finish. This is important. It's important to get those kind of things out, right? Look, he's not really a hugging kind of guy but at least he'll put a hand on Genos' shoulder and squeeze it. ]

I'm sorry. [ What else would he say? But there's something else -- ] You know, just because you're... supposed to be a machine, doesn't stop you from being human. [ For some reason that feels like an important distinction. ]

So he betrayed your trust, then.

[ He's not sure why, but that sounds like the worst crime someone could possibly carry out. ]

[wounds]

[If it was something so minor- he wouldn't have cared. But this? This was his drive before anything happened, before he ended up in Pride.]

I'm not a real human being. I'm not supposed to be. [Maybe, that's how Squalo feels, but for Genos- he doesn't think himself as human- he hasn't in a long time.]

[He sighs and nods.]

I trusted him so much, and he betrayed it.

[And still- and still he wants to see him again, wants to ask why?]

[sublimelymagnificentblitz]

What the hell!?

[Whoa, whoa, not cool! At the sound of destruction, Jecht stalks over, reaching out to try to catch his wrists or put a halt to this or something.]

[wounds]

[He's just gotten home and these are his lyrics- if he wants to destroy them he will.

He'll tug his hand away and glare daggers.]

What do you want?

[sublimelymagnificentblitz]

Uh, to stop you. What the hell are you doing? You don't just -- you can't just -- that's your music, man!

[Strong in ideals, weak in words.]

[wounds]

Destroying it.

[Rip.]

I'll make something better.

[sublimelymagnificentblitz]

You already made this! It's not -- what the hell's gotten into you, man?

[wounds]

My music, my choice.

[He seems tired, angry, miserable.]

[twoscompany]

...Genos?

[After Terry, of course she looks for others she knows. Such as Steven...Steven, and Genos.

When she does find him, she sees what he's doing, and goes to bring a hand to his shoulder, as if to stop him.]

What...what are you...

[What happened to you?]

[wounds]

Garnet.

[He doesn't look too hurt, compared to everyone else.

But he's not doing well emotionally. At all.]

It's trash. It's not true. He doesn't deserve a word of it. I'll write something better.

[twoscompany]

...What are you talking about?

[Something about this...yeah, he's not injured. But such a turn of events, and words...]

What happened to you?

[wounds]

Nothing.

I just realized something. [Saitama is not the man he thought.]

[twoscompany]

[She stares at him, his eyes, his face. No. This is not nothing. The label...they didn't say anything about where they went. What happened, with the strange goings-on.

Its pretty obvious. She can't believe this is nothing.]

What did they do to you.

[wounds]

[He was brainwashed into subservience, brainwashed into thinking Saitama was the villain the whole time. That he was lied to the entire time he's known Saitama- and it's the reason he's been ripping up all his lyrics, all the sheet music he's dedicated to the man.]

They didn't do anything.

[And he believes that.

It's not true.]

[snapcrackleburn]

Genos? Can we talk about what happened?

[ Roy talks through the bedroom door just in case it's too soon and Genos needs to be alone. It's been ten hours since they were released and delivered to the penthouse. ]

[wounds]

[Most of his songs have been turned into confetti by the point, so he lets Roy in and then slumps back onto his bed.]

... Alright.

[snapcrackleburn]

[ Roy enters and hesitates near the door. ]

Have you eaten? Squalo cooked- I can bring a plate to you if you'd like.

[wounds]

[He sighs, heavy and tired]

I'll come to dinner.

[snapcrackleburn]

All right.

[Roy steps further into the room and closes the door behind him. He's guessing Genos would rather talk about this in the comfort of his room than out in the kitchen area.]

I heard you ripped up your music sheets. What's going on?

[wounds]

The person I was writing about... He was the reason my family was killed.