37 days till Halloween [video] [action]

[quickattackjack]

<sub>[Who missed having a screen-ful of cheerful old guy face?]

[Anyone?]</sub>

Hello, everyone! It's been a while, hasn't it? Would you believe me if I said I lost my gear in the sofa cushions?

..._{because I did.}

ANYHOW who's ready for Christmas? Me. I am. I am ready for Christmas. Do you suppose Sandyclaws will come back? He left me a Houndour egg last year. Or someone did. I like to think I've been good this year. _{[If you don't count pranking the breeding center and possibly kidnapping people while dressed as a pirate on Halloween shhh.]} I bet this is going to be a first Christmas for some of you! Let me tell you, it's going to be wonderful!

...so long as nothing explodes. But that's a given. I think.

_{I really do hope nothing explodes.}


============[ACTION]==============

<sub>[Jack wanders the streets of Goldenrod in an overly puffy coat because adsfdsklgg cold. Under one arm are a few boxes that have already been wrapped and in his other hand is a list. He furrows his brows as he looks at the names on it and pauses every few stores to see if he can spot anything his friends might like.]

[But then he sees something else.]

[The poor ex-skeleton finds himself in the shadow of the biggest casino in town.]

[DB NO. MUST....RESIST. SHINY GAMES. AND LIGHTS. AND MUSIC.]

[He plants the list against his face and just sort of stands there on the street corner for a while.]

[A long while.]</sub>

Jack, old boy, we can beat this.

Comments

Action

[quickattackjack]

_{[Still with the page plastered to his face, Jack nods wearily.]}

Just a bit. If you wouldn't mind kindly...taking my shoulders and turning me the other way?

[pianokeys]

[He pauses for a moment and stares blankly forward, as if he's forgotten that his eyes can actually look at a person directly. But then he responds with a jolly smile.]

Su~re! [And proceeds to do just that! He walks forward, takes his shoulders and turns him to face the other way.

...You do however get a curious Ditto slivering onto your shoulder, Jack.]

[quickattackjack]

_{[Jack slowly takes his hand down. The devil's playground is nowhere in sight and he he heaves a huge sigh, almost doubling over while doing so.]}

Thank you very much...oh! Hello, Father.

_{[He hadn't even noticed who he was speaking to.]}

How'v you bee--oh hello. 8I _{[There's... sentient chewing gum climbing onto him.]}

[pianokeys]

Hey there, Jack.~ [He waves in response, before looking down to the ditto, a small smirk creeping up his lips.]

Y'know... I'd say he likes you.

[And the Ditto crawls on his shoulder, it's face looking up to him with its large smile.]

[quickattackjack]

_{[Jack tilts his head in order to see the critter better.]}

I guess I'd have to say I like him too! Does he have a name?

[pianokeys]

[He shakes his head.] Couldn't think of one. Think you could help?

[The Ditto gives a little cry and suddenly takes the solid shape of Jack's glasses, resting on his shoulder.]

[quickattackjack]

<sub>[Jack rather liked naming things! Even though he came up with names like Dennis for a thirty foot sea dragon that hated everyone.]

[He opens his mouth to suggest something but lets out a startled baulk of sorts when the nameless blob in question is suddenly GONE.]

[D: ??????]

[He gently reaches out to pluck the glasses off of his shoulder.]</sub>

Dear God I think there's been a glitch.

1/2

[pianokeys]

[Annnnd the glasses form back into a Ditto in his hand, its derpy smile looking up at him. Ditto!]

He likes to change. Reminds me of myself...

2/2

[pianokeys]

[Oh god. He's done it again. He's just gonna blush a little, stay quiet. You can speak now Jack, it's for the best.]

[quickattackjack]

_{[When the glasses reform into a smiling blob of goo, Jack stares for a moment before breaking into an enormous grin.]}

That is brilliant! I didn't know Pokemon can do that!

_{[Noticing Father's remark but oblivious to the silent spell that has fallen over him, he turns his attention to his friend.]}

Really? Are you a man of many hats?

[pianokeys]

[He shakes his head a little. There's pure fear in his eyes, right now.] Shouldn't talk about that. Sorry.

[quickattackjack]

_{[Jack knows him some fear when he sees it. It's kind of his thing.]}

Father, what's the matter? There's nothing wrong with being good at a lot of different things.

_{[Jack thought maybe he was ashamed of not having one 'true' talent...but why so scared?]}

[pianokeys]

[And the worst part? He knows what fear looks like in the eyes of someone too; he saw it in his children before they lost their eyes. It doesn't cross his mind that his new eyes can do that too, though.]

Mother wouldn't like it. [It's not even crossing his mind to cover up his tracks and call her his wife, instead of mother; he's far too used to only being around children, where that made sense.]

[quickattackjack]

<sub>[Jack's fairly sharp when he's not being distracted by pretty lights. Somebody named Father talking about somebody named Mother only made sense...]

[But why the fear? It bugged him.]

[The ex-skeleton flips his coat collar up against a chilly breeze that passes them by.]</sub>

Would you like to go inside somewhere?

_{[This was not a thing to be discussed on a street corner and it had its hooks in Jack's interest.]}

[pianokeys]

[He tries to perk up a little now, giving a nod, a 'Sure'... It always plays on his mind, though. Mother told him that thinking was bad for him when he was created, and that he should only do what she tells him to. He's nothing without her.]

[quickattackjack]

<sub>[Jack eyes the Ditto for some kind of input because sometimes Pokemon could tell you a thing or two about their trainers before turning and leading Father back the way he had originally come. There was a small book shop a few doors down that specialized in grass-types. It would do.]

[BI It does'nt help that Jack is like...taller than half the book shelves here but whatever.]</sub>

Father, I don't mean to dig around your grave, but are you hiding from someone?

[pianokeys]

[Nothing from the Ditto as it listened, it's smile now a frown.

The Other Father remains silent for the walk, remembering that it was his place, that if he talks he might just say something he's not meant to, which can only ever bring bad things.]

From someone? Nope. [The fear's still there. Buttons hid so much.]

[quickattackjack]

_{[Jack gives the man a squint. He didn't know Father too well and to call anyone a liar wasn't his nature...but the face the other man made didn't make it seem as though he was doing it to cause harm.]}

Tell me about Mother.

_{[It was not a question.]}

[pianokeys]

[His entire expression drops, not even masking the fear anymore. God you're reminding him so much of his wife, right now, Jack.]

My wife won't be happy.

[He's used to giving into demands, but they've always been from her... Jack, he's really not sure whether it's better to go through you or the Beldam. Who, really, is worse?]

[quickattackjack]

_{[Jack tilts his head again. He places his packages on the ground and starts folding up the list he's been looking at.]}

Why? You're doing nothing wrong.

_{[He wasn't married, but he KNEW how relationships were supposed to work. Or he thought so anyway.]}

[pianokeys]

She told me not to. [He's doing something wrong if she told him not to.] I don't want to disappoint her.

[quickattackjack]

Why?

<sub>[Jack's favorite word. Followed closely by 'how'.' His gaze isn't as harsh, but it isn't letting up. Sometimes Sally told him not to do things. 'No, Jack, that machine isn't finished, Dr. Finklestein has everything exactly the way he wants it, you shouldn't t--NO JACK!' but it was nothing like this. It usually ended up with far less holes in the roof than there would be otherwise.]

[The fear bothered him so much.]</sub>

You're allowed to talk about whatever you like. You're your own person.

[pianokeys]

If she found out...

[quickattackjack]

Doesn't matter.

_{[Jack nods to himself as if he suddenly has the authority to say so. He has the ability to talk himself into just about anything. This was becoming of growing importance to the skeleton.]}

No one is going to get you here. I don't mean to speak ill of your wife, but you seem awfully frightened of her.

_{[8[ What was this lady LIKE?]}

[pianokeys]

[This frightening man has a point, and he knows it. But he feels like he'll be such a let down, which he is anyway because he's said so much. He doesn't want to hurt her emotionally; he knows her 'real' side, he knows that she can feel things... He's been told that she can feel things, but whether they were lies, like every other one that she's told him to make him obey her.

But then again, Jack is... his friend? That is the right word, he thinks. He's never had friends, just a wife and children and the neighbours that he never really interacted with... oh, and the mice. The Other Father knows how friendship is meant to work, and that he's meant to trust them. Trust is important.

He did stick up to her to help Coraline, he did get that courage. He has his Pokémon now too. And Mother isn't here, and he's finally beginning to think that she might not be coming; Mother would have been here straight away, surely? Maybe... No, he doesn't want to think that she might not care about him. He loves his wife. But...

He keeps his voice low, slow, disappointed, as he stares into nothingness once again, forgetting the full use of his eyes. The Ditto slides up onto Jack's shoulder.]

Mother scares us all.