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

[worthlesspride]

[Tooru just sobs more, burying his face into Artolo's chest.]

O- [He hiccups] Okay. Just be careful.

[iitrebel]

I will.

[A quiet promise as he wraps himself around Tooru.]

I really will.

[worthlesspride]

[Later, after Tooru's sobbed himself out]

Thank you, Double A.

[iitrebel]

[By this point, Artolo's dug his chin into Tooru's hair, and doesn't seem like he plans on leaving at any point soon.]

Couldn't do fucking anything else for you. Shit... What even happened, anyway? Everyone just vanished like a shitty party trick.

[worthlesspride]

Aliens.

[He wipes at his eyes, taking a breath] The haunting was caused by alien ghosts. And they needed help.

[This shouldn't surprise Art, Tooru was obsessed with Aliens]

Baryl, that was the ghost's name, gathered a bunch of us together to rescue his friend Octave and we got caught.

Santiago herself came down and... well, let's say she taught us a lesson. I got this. [He taps his cast] because I'm the one who brought down the barrier holding Octave.

[He smiles a little at this.] It was my jump serve. I spent years perfecting it. At least, I remember that, but it doesn't match up...

[Tooru's now come to the conclusion something is very, very wrong in his brain. And he's beginning to suspect the memories that don't fit are his true ones. He's not sure. He needs to go to his parent's graves... to check if they're actually there.]

Anyways. I also threw some smoke bombs at Sanitago's head. So that's why she broke my knee.

[iitrebel]

[That's a lot to take in.]

[Seriously. A lot. What the fuck.]

[At the same time, as his mind is stuck on a carousel of what-the-fuck, it almost seems to make sense. Of course aliens are real; he's not sure he ever really disbelieved that fact. Same for the ghosts, although he finds a part of himself recoiling at that. Not fear, necessarily, but a kind of exhausted frustration.]

[And Santiago. Holy shit.]

[Artolo's mouth, as usual, runs off even as his brain is still absorbing all the information.]

I knew that fucking dead douchebag was bad news, he stole my fucking Pretz.

[It's obviously not the important thing, and it's obvious that Artolo's mind is somewhere else as he tries to just... accept it all.]

[worthlesspride]

Wait... what?

[Now it's Tooru's turn to be confused]

[iitrebel]

It's dumb, let's not talk about it, ghosts are assholes is my official stance, moving on.

[It's unimportant to the main conversation at hand, however.]

When you say 'us'... Who the hell else went? How the hell did you guys even get up there?

[worthlesspride]

Mai-chan, Terry, Mustang Sally, Yuffie, Kido, Tiger, Genos and me.

The ghost led us. And I have really good aim. And it's really easy to make smoke bombs.

[iitrebel]

Fuck...

[Five people he knows, dragged into this mess. Was the end result even worth it? He has no idea. This all happened beneath his nose. Something in his chest freezes at the idea of how long this might have been going on.]

I should have come with. Done something to keep your obsessed asshole out of trouble.

[worthlesspride]

I don't think you would have been able to stop us from doing anything.

[iitrebel]

I could have tackled you. I could have done that.

[worthlesspride]

That wouldn't have stopped me, and you know it.

[iitrebel]

Rrrrrrrr. [Just a wordless annoyed sound.] I swear to god I'm going to start carrying handcuffs around for this kind of shit, man.

[worthlesspride]

Well...

It's not like you have to worry about it now. I can't do anything like that again.

[Unconsciously he rubs at his cast] Even if I wanted.

[iitrebel]

[Artolo bumps their heads again.]

...I'll keep you safe.

[It's the only promise he can even vaguely carry through.]

[worthlesspride]

Thank you.

[iitrebel]

[Just a grunt as he stays there for a while, occasionally papping Tooru's cheek now and then. Eventually-]

I'd act as your self preservation, too, but it's not like I have any to spare either.

[worthlesspride]

That's why we get along.

No self preservation between us.

[iitrebel]

I thought we got along because we're both dicks?

[worthlesspride]

That too~