006 ┼ I'm Finding Me Out, I'm Having My Doubts, I'm Losing the Best of Me

[stylistic_disloyalty]

Who: Luci & YOU
What: You know what sucks? Everything about the last festival-- especially all the chaos and running. You know what's probably a good idea? Ignoring all of that and having a party. On a yacht.
When: May 20th
Where: The bay outside Vista City
Warnings: IT'S A CARNIVAL CRUISE...!

((Luci just got a strange pay bump and she's using it to regroup after the intense clusterfuck at the last festival-- she's still not sure exactly what happened there, but even though it's probably significant, she'd rather celebrate like one usually does after a lot of work. By renting a yacht for a night. Like people usually do.))





((It's a nice boat. Plenty of food, a couple of bartenders, fire pits, couches, swimsuits for those who need, and music of course. The party is, of course, invite only to keep the paparazzi and gatecrashers and people looking to turn this into a work-venture out, but Luci's given the bouncer clearance to let friends of guests and anybody who seems interesting in-- she knows Luci's type.))

((Try not to get too blitzed and fall overboard!))

Comments

[stylistic_disloyalty]

[Luci frowns down at Jamie, her eyebrows coming together in confusion. She thought he'd picked up on what had happened to her last time they spoke, what with the limping and all that, but maybe they'd cut too fast to Jamie's happy and exclusive relationship. After a moment, she sighs and looks away.]

Xanxus was dying after that party, I had to do something.

[mildwildchild]

[Jamie's expressions cycle through puzzlement to comprehension to something like sorrow.]

She's been - doing that to you all this time?

[He reaches to put a hand on her arm, a helpless, tentative gesture whose purpose even he's not really sure of.] I'm sorry, Luci. I'm so sorry.

[stylistic_disloyalty]

Don't. [She puts her fingers over Jamie's mouth before he can go on any more about the whole fucked up situation. Luci doesn't want to hear platitudes or pity, there's nothing anyone can do so there's no point.]

I don't want to talk about it, there's nothing to tell aside from what I just said, and if you start spouting garbage about making her pay I'll knock you one right in the back of the neck. Got it?

[mildwildchild]

[Jamie ducks his head away again, looking frustrated.] I wasn't gonna suggest anything like that, I know we can't just go up to her and start punching at her or whatever. But, I mean -

[He trails off briefly, clenching and unclenching his fists as he tries to frame his thoughts.] She's using the fired people for something, like batteries. For that - whatever it was that got started last week with that concert. I thought maybe if we could get 'em out of there, it'd do something to put a dent in her plans, y'know?

[Also something something boyfriend, he's not going to pretend that's not also an important factor here.]

[stylistic_disloyalty]

...batteries? [Luci gives Jamie an incredulous look. That's a highly disturbing image, but she can't say that it's surprising. Nothing is surprising these days, she's seen some serious shit.]

Wait, do you know where they're being kept?

[Alec, and Wakana, and Fetch, and Poe...]

[mildwildchild]

Yeah, like - she's using their souls to power something. One of the ghosts told me. It's called energy conversion, that's what happens to all the people who get "fired." But I don't know where they are. I don't think anybody does. The ghosts don't even know.

[He looks and sounds frustrated, almost frantic.]

If I had some way of figuring it out, then I could - I can do things now, I could do something to get 'em out, at least some of 'em. I hate just sitting here while she's - doing whatever it is she's doing, hurting 'em or... [He trails off with an angry, hopeless noise.]

[stylistic_disloyalty]

Jamie, listen-- [Luci grabs him by his shoulders and shakes him once, just to make sure he's focused on what she's saying.] Whatever you can do, you're not going to take her down. You're not going to kick the door in and rescue everyone. Not yet. You go off half-cocked and you'll get yourself killed. I can't protect everyone.

[mildwildchild]

I know that! I'm not stupid! I just -

[He tenses up, almost as though he's a hair's breadth from exploding, and then slumps down in her grip.]

I just - I want to do something to help. Even if I could only get one of those people away from her, even if I can't do anything for Sora -

[And here he has to look away again, because once more he's getting stupidly emotional. He's frustrated and embarrassed and still hurting, none of which are things he deals with very well, so his impulse is still to try to hide them and hope nobody notices.]

[stylistic_disloyalty]

...You're a good one, Jamie. [Luci gathers him back up and holds him to her, resting her cheek in his hair.] That's what I love about you-- you just can't think of your fucking self even when your life's on the line.

I'm going to try to help you, okay? There's a lot of talk, people trying to get out, but I'm staying here. If you want to get Sora away from her, I'll do everything I can to help.