video | 004 | day 54

[retrograding]

[Because the broadcast is a video, Jet Star comes on the screen with his hair somewhat tamed and his eyepatch in place. His expression is as calm as ever, and the video is steady. The only evidence that there might be something wrong is the sound of clattering and a somewhat distressed voice in the background - but Jet ignores that for the most part to address his audience.]

I have one very simple question for the people of this town today, and I like to think it isn’t an unreasonable request. Two friends of mine, Party Poison and Kobra Kid, have not been home for a while. Has anybody seen either of them? They’re rather hard to miss. Party Poison has red hair, and Kobra Kid is blonde, the former is short and the latter is tall --

[Fun Ghoul suddenly appears over Jet's shoulder, scowling at the communicator.]

One's fuckin' stupid, and the other one's twice as fuckin' stupid. Give 'em the real facts, Jet. Two days! [He holds up two fingers in front of Jet's face just in case you assholes forgot how to count.] Never gone this long without sayin' shit, ask that raccoon-eyed piece of work what she did with our boys--

[And he cuts himself off to disappear into the background again, sending something else crashing to the floor. Jet watches Ghoul stomp off with a sort of sad expression, and when he looks back at the communicator, the look sticks.]

We aren't accusing anyone of anything. But if you are out there, either of you - or if anybody knows where they might be, please let us know.

Please. Thank you. [And the feed cuts off. Jet has some calming to do, excuse him.]

Comments

[retrograding]

[ Jet knows how to handle his emotions, how to shut down publicly, hurt in private so that his boys don't have to see it. He is the rock. He's the steady point. He knows how to handle it so that even these two, who have become part of his merry band of baby chicks whether they like it or not, don't have to see it. But they follow him, and he glances at Laura in surprise. ]

They do. But our luck has never been incredible. I don't see the point in wishing. [ He smiles in that vague way at Jesse and Laura in turn. ] I don't need anything. But I appreciate the question. I'm just going to the beach. You needn't follow an old, moping man.

[magnets]

[ Jesse immediately lets out a noise of protest, an 'oof' followed shortly by a 'watch it!' as he's pulled along by the elbow, even yanks himself free from Laura's grasp after a moment - but he does follow her along suit without much complaint. ]

[ It's Jet, is all. The dude really is a rock here, he's helped Jesse out in more ways than he probably even knows so far. There's a soft spot already forming in Jesse for the guy, and seeing him upset like this is kinda rattling, something that he immediately doesn't want to see and yet simultaneously wants to better. ]

[ He knows all too well what it's like to stay alone with your own thoughts when something's eating at you from the inside. He just doesn't really wish that on anyone else if he can help it. ]

Viejo, [ he calls out again, a little more sternly than the time before, ] I know you're a real tough guy and all but you don't gotta charge on alone, ya know.

[facilitated]

[ Damn right there's not much complaint. Laura's hardly punch happy, but there would definitely be some frustrated shoving if Jesse had started griping.

They're safe though, he's following too and this is better than nothing. She can't just let Jet walk off alone, after all. He's been there for her, for both of them, through some really shitty times in this awful town. It's only right that they're there for him too. ]

Yeah, you're not running off by yourself now. [ She shoves her hands in her pockets, carefully matching his pace as she walks along beside him. ] You can mope, don't worry. You don't have to be happy, but that doesn't mean you have to be alone.

[retrograding]

[ ... Maybe it makes him smile. Something in him resists the urge to let them follow - something stubborn and tired and maybe a little angry. But a larger part of him doesn't want to be alone, and whether or not this is obligation from the two of them makes no difference to him.

So he lets them catch up, and when they both do, he decides to just let himself be an old sap. With that same smile, he leans to kiss the side of Laura's head, grabs Jesse's shoulder and squeezes it in a sign of thanks, and then slips his hands back into his pockets. ]

Thank you, mija, mijo. [ Jet says softly. Maybe he won't talk too much, but he can do this. ] I appreciate it.