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Jacobi sits down beside him, close enough to touch, and inspects the wound.
"Glad I didn't know then. I would have been in more trouble," he mutters. "He was an Assistant. And I was a Patient. You can guess which was the warden equivalent. It wasn't me."
He mutes the television but starts the game. "It was built like a preschool hell. Bright colors. Soft surfaces. No privacy. The goal was, well, just to be happy. To pretend to be happy was fine, too."
He rubs the back of his neck, touching the scar. "Brainwashed idiots."
"Glad I didn't know then. I would have been in more trouble," he mutters. "He was an Assistant. And I was a Patient. You can guess which was the warden equivalent. It wasn't me."
He mutes the television but starts the game. "It was built like a preschool hell. Bright colors. Soft surfaces. No privacy. The goal was, well, just to be happy. To pretend to be happy was fine, too."
He rubs the back of his neck, touching the scar. "Brainwashed idiots."
There were stitches, so it isn't too bad, but he'll run a finger lightly against Jacobi's hand as if to steady him. He doesn't understand it but he knows harm to him makes his friend... twitchy.
"I applaud you for not losing your mind. I can certainly see Michael playing at his fun in a place like that. Hopefully, you'll never have to see him again."
"I applaud you for not losing your mind. I can certainly see Michael playing at his fun in a place like that. Hopefully, you'll never have to see him again."
The touch helps, just a little, but at least now he has a new target in mind for if he ever needs to just lose his shit at someone.
"Hopefully. Fortunately, he left me alone after that. It was - a crazy fucking time. We weren't allowed to use any swear words. It would censor us. Even talking in person."
"Hopefully. Fortunately, he left me alone after that. It was - a crazy fucking time. We weren't allowed to use any swear words. It would censor us. Even talking in person."
"I feel like I ought to invite everyone to a game of 'Cards Against Humanity' after I'm no longer falling over," and he'll take a moment to select his driver for the game. Princess Peach, regardless of his status. If he loses, he loses.
"Just fill the room with the lot of us swearing up a storm."
"Just fill the room with the lot of us swearing up a storm."
"Luigi was there," he mutter, passing by the character on the screen. "Never talked to him but...he was there."
He nudges him, picking Yoshi instead. "I'd be into that card game, though. I think a lot of people would be."
He nudges him, picking Yoshi instead. "I'd be into that card game, though. I think a lot of people would be."
He almost drops his controller.
"Have you told Tim yet? My God."
A pause.
"...was he awful?"
Another pause.
"Did he have a ghost vacuum?"
"Have you told Tim yet? My God."
A pause.
"...was he awful?"
Another pause.
"Did he have a ghost vacuum?"
"I haven't. And he just seemed...nice. And a little dumb. No vacuum. But green jumpsuit."
He looks over to him. "Guess I got the interesting boat."
He looks over to him. "Guess I got the interesting boat."
"I had a warden made of lava," is his answer to that, "a giant of a man who was apparently some manner of marine or another. Utterly hard ass."
A pause.
"...I'm not surprised about the 'dumb', however. I always thought Mario was the brains of that operation."
A pause.
"...I'm not surprised about the 'dumb', however. I always thought Mario was the brains of that operation."
"Oh definitely."
He picks the track. "Lava warden, huh? Was he an asshole?"
He picks the track. "Lava warden, huh? Was he an asshole?"
"Probably the worst on the ship," he says with a sigh as he watches the screen load up and he'll select the race track. "I happened to be put in the room attached to his. So he took an interest in me."
"Attached rooms," he mutters. "What the fuck."
But then the race starts and he's able to pull his attention away.
"I am not going easy on you this time."
But then the race starts and he's able to pull his attention away.
"I am not going easy on you this time."
"I'd be livid if you did," he says, and he's definitely not as sharp as he usually would be, the bright colors stabbing into his eyes a bit, but he's holding his own.
"I did meet someone there who wasn't terrible and wasn't a cartoon rabbit," he mutters as he rounds a corner and overtakes him.
"He was...weird. But he helped me get what I needed to make a fire."
"He was...weird. But he helped me get what I needed to make a fire."
"Well, 'weird' isn't outside of your wheelhouse, obviously," he says as he almost goes over the edge of the course.
"Wait, did you say cartoon rabbit?"
"Wait, did you say cartoon rabbit?"
"Yes sir I did," he says quickly, eyes flicking to Jon's controller. Just in case.
"It was a weird place."
"It was a weird place."
"And the person who gave you fire was... also weird? Cartoon rabbit weird or-?"
"No, he was weird like - " He pauses. "With a weird backstory but generally from a place that's semi-recognizable."
"Ah." The Barge usual.
"So a cartoon rabbit and a weird man and knife-fingers Michael. Lovely. And the rest of them was just our people?"
"So a cartoon rabbit and a weird man and knife-fingers Michael. Lovely. And the rest of them was just our people?"
"Nah, there were actual kids. Not - the kind of teenagers we get, but, well, one couldn't have been more than ten," he says.
"She helped me with the fire."
"She helped me with the fire."
"...I am both horrified and terribly amused you spent your time corrupting youths."
"Hey! She came after the fire was started and just...made it bigger. I yanked her away."
He laughs as they come on the last turn.
He laughs as they come on the last turn.
Jon's behind but he's inching forward and he just got a... green shell. Dammit.
"Good, good, can't corrupt the youth if they're roasted. I'm assuming your ship was as rebellious as ours was?"
"Good, good, can't corrupt the youth if they're roasted. I'm assuming your ship was as rebellious as ours was?"
"Mostly. I uh...wasn't great there. Quiet for most of it. I couldn't be bothered to do anything."
And he is eyeing that shell, just in case, as he speeds for the finish.
And he is eyeing that shell, just in case, as he speeds for the finish.
Jon's taking his shot... and utterly misses, given his eyes are going a bit double.
"Fuck."
Second place.
"Fuck."
Second place.
Edited 2022-09-01 14:45 (UTC)
And Jacobi happily crosses the finish line. "Hey! Second isn't bad after you, you know, died."
He sets the controller down. "Surprised you didn't just cheat again like you always do."
He sets the controller down. "Surprised you didn't just cheat again like you always do."
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