22 [Video + Action (open)]

[niepokonany]

[Video]

[Feliks looks like he's in Union for the moment -- in a noble house, by the looks of the fancy furniture and his high-fashion outfit. He's got his boots off, on the floor next to the couch where he sits with a Growlithe curled up next to him, petting a tuft of fluffy fur.]

You guys seriously have zero chill, you know that? Like, I go out for a couple of weeks and come back and you got all mixed up with gods again?

Never a dull moment, I guess... But seriously, way to have all the excitement without me! Super rude, Union. You're gonna hurt my feelings or something, all hanging out without me and junk.

So? How badass was it?

[Action - Various places around the Business District + Teeter's]

[As usual when he's in town, Feliks has errands all over the shopping district. He spends the morning restocking on potions, food, and assorted adventuring supplies, then hits up some of the mid-range clothing shops for things to wear out in the field, things that aren't too fussy or too fragile.]

[In the afternoon, he steels his nerve and goes to his old favorite high-end shops. He gets fitted for a few new suits at a good tailor's, then ends up in one of the fancy dress shops, laughing and making a fuss, teasing the attendants and any other patrons nearby as he tries on one thing after another. All in all, he seems in great spirits, with the exception of one moment when he catches sight of himself in a mirror -- dressed up and laughing with the fire stone necklace glinting at his breast, and the weight of the last year comes crashing back all of a sudden. He ends up having to sit down for a moment to recover, like it's a damn fainting spell -- and of course, all the people working here know all the stupid noble gossip, so they know exactly what his problem is, but he still finds himself making excuses to anyone nearby.]

Sorry, my bad -- I think this corset's a little tight after all! Haven't been wearing them for a while, you know?

[In the evening, he ends up in Teeter's, because the classier places have never actually really been his scene. After a couple of drinks, any hints of shyness are well and truly gone from him.]

Hey, hey -- I'm bored. Wanna do something fun? Like, like a drinking contest. Or a dancing contest. Or a drinking and dancing contest!

Comments

[morituri_nolumus_mori]

I was goaded. I think something chased me as well. Doesn't surprise me. It's kind of, how my life works. It's like this, see? The more I don't want to go, the more likely I'll end up where I'm not wanting to be. So I figured, why fight it? I'd only be there anyway. Probably the worse for wear too.

Oh, I met Death too, but probably not yours.

[niepokonany]

I mean, it was pretty out of the way, right? Who was gonna end up at a place like that by accident? If you don't wanna go, just don't go. I do that all the time.

...Big scary bird-dragon-thing, red wings, everything it comes near starts to rot?

[morituri_nolumus_mori]

... I didn't know Death had wings? All I saw was a skeleton in a black robe. When he spoke, his voice didn't have the common decency to register through my ears first.

[niepokonany]

...That doesn't sound like a Pokemon at all?

I mean, the voice thing I get. The Death one didn't talk where we could hear, but Heatran's voice was like... pretty intense.

Like pretty "you start wondering if a voice can actually crush you" intense.

[morituri_nolumus_mori]

No, definitely not a pokemon. I wish it had been. At least I'd know it wasn't the Death of humans, if there is a thing. Unless I'd gone mad. High chance of that, everyone seeing different things...

This, er, Heatran ... isn't around anymore, is it?

[niepokonany]

You think it's different for humans and Pokemon? Like, pretty sure it was the same to everyone who was there with me...

[Wow, that's really not any fun to talk about...]

I'm pretty sure it's like, around somewhere, but it's calmed down and everything, so I think things are good on that front?

[morituri_nolumus_mori]

Could be. Can't say one way or the other, but if we're keeping a tally, the only gods making themselves known are ones of the pokemon variety.

I hope you're right.

[ Heatran sounds awful. Rincewind sends a silent prayer to whatever god is listening that he'll never have to encounter the thing. He doesn't think his frail, fleeting mind could take it. ]

[niepokonany]

We always kind of figured all the gods were like Pokemon?

I mean, there's the Savior, but she's not really a god.

The whole thing with Heatran was ages ago, anyway, and we haven't heard any more about it. I think it was just like, confused or something?

[morituri_nolumus_mori]

Gosh, I didn't know gods could be confused. Doesn't sound very godlike, does it?

[ Rincewind doesn't buy into the whole Savior thing. He lets the comment slide by with the same humdrum expression that said, in a tone of practice despondence, 'oh, this again'. ]

[niepokonany]

[Feliks is used to that tone, especially from every older adult who talks to him. He doesn't even seem to notice it.]

Everybody gets confused sometimes. Why not gods?

[morituri_nolumus_mori]

Because having a confused god around is probably a lot like having an angry and unstoppable toddler around who's prone to earth-shattering tantrums and fits of spontaneity.

It's an unpleasant thought.

[niepokonany]

A little less with the earth shattering and more with the fire and magma, but yeah, that's basically what it was like.

[morituri_nolumus_mori]

That's why gods ought not to be confused, I think.

[niepokonany]

I guess that's pretty legit, but like, it still doesn't mean they're not gonna be sometimes.

[morituri_nolumus_mori]

I think they shouldn't be. It would make everyone's lives that much easier.

[niepokonany]

Well, nothing's ever easy, is it?

[morituri_nolumus_mori]

No, but that doesn't mean I can't want it. All I'm askin' is to have a simple, easy life. So far, I've done my best, but the minute things start looking good again, I know it's time to brace for impact. Bad often follows good, and it likes to come in droves.

[niepokonany]

"Easy" is a pretty tall order for an all-I'm-asking, isn't it?

[It's never easy. He just does his damnedest to make it look that way, on his end.]

But you've made it this long, so how bad could it be?

[morituri_nolumus_mori]

It's awful. So far, what hasn't killed me, has really hurt a lot.

[niepokonany]

Yeah, well. It didn't kill you, so there's that!

[morituri_nolumus_mori]

There's that. I guess.

[niepokonany]

So that's totally what matters!

[He's not dead yet, either, and he's constantly doing his best to believe that's the most important thing. Where there's life, there's hope, right?]

[Fucking right and he will not hear otherwise.]

[morituri_nolumus_mori]

Right.

[ They're close enough to agreeing that Rincewind doesn't push the matter. What matter was there to push, anyhow? Life was life. If someone was going to interpret living as something hopeful, live and let him live. ]

That's settled, then.

[niepokonany]

Right.

[He's glad Rincewind agrees, or at least is unwilling to argue with him, which is pretty much as good in his book.]