BOOTHILL.

[tactic]

Comments

week 0, saturday, stream............

[shirtbag]

[ boothill is totally unbothered by the leeches once he wades out into the stream. they won't get past his metal with their puny leech mouths. he'll keep them off of his face just because he doesn't want teethmarks on it.

once he's got his box secured, he takes stock of people who have already gotten their box open. blood? he's not doing that.

he tries beating the box. kicking it. he would shoot if he had any bullets. this box is somehow indestructible.

there are teethmarks already on the box. this is the only rationale i can come up with for why he decides to lean down, hesitate, and give it a lick.

DISGUSTING!!!! ]

[tactic]

[ Guess who has been watching this go down from a safe distance of like some feet away. He'd been picking leeches off his own box up until Boothill appeared, and then he had settled in to watch the show. Too bad the so-called show takes a drastic turn, and Aventurine's expression twists into disgust when the tongue comes out.

It was funny at first, but now he's not so sure. ]

... What are you doing?

1/2

[shirtbag]

[ if he grosses out an IPC member it was all worth it.......... except not really

he swivels his head to look at aventurine. he's not even paying attention to the fact that his box unlocks right in his hands.

menacingly: ] You-!

2/2

[shirtbag]

[ something between a cough and a gurgle.

he swallows. then he goes completely silent, looking at the ground in horror.



completely monotone: ]

...Well, that ain't good.

[tactic]

Me?

[ Takes a closer look at Boothill, at first to see if he can recognize the other man, but then because he suddenly gets quiet? Aventurine looks around like WHAT? ]

What happened?

[shirtbag]

... Nevermind that.

[ HE JUST. WON'T THINK ABOUT IT. AND MAYBE IT WILL GO AWAY? no it won't.

ignores it and glares back at aventurine. he lays his box beside him and he pushes himself to his feet. ]

What the fork are you doin' here, ya' IPC lapdog?

[tactic]

[ HE'S JUST GONNA LIVE WITH A LEECH INSIDE OF HIM OKAY

But oh, he's seeing it now. Hard to tell without the cowboy getup, but he recognizes that face. ]

Funny. I could be asking you that very same question, Galaxy Ranger.

w2, tuesday.

[tactic]

[ Let's say Aventurine and Boothill were shooting the shit at the bar when shadows suddenly swallow the both of them and a scene plays out before them.

4:56:38-5:01:15 IS YOUR MEMSHARE.

At the end of the memory, the shadows depart and return them to the bar, and Aventurine sits there looking like he's just seen a ghost. ]

[shirtbag]

[ HELP ME

boothill looks the exact same way, staring forward at nothing. during the ordeal, he crushed the glass of whiskey in his hand without realizing it. there's drink and glass shards on the bar under his metal hand, but he doesn't seem to register this.

he finally looks at aventurine, eyes wide. boothill knew about the conflict between the strategic investment department and marketing development department. what he didn't know is how big of a part oswaldo schneider actually played in aventurine's past—how similar they actually are.

slowly and with feeling: ]

Ho-ly fudge.

[tactic]

[ There may be glass and whiskey all over the bar counter, but Aventurine doesn't seem to care as he lowers his face into his hands, then sighs softly into them.

The memories had initially been a shock, but he's realizing now that they'll continue for the rest of this week. He's quiet as he processes the memory that he'd just been forced to relive, closes his eyes tight to hear his sister's voice once more.

When he reopens them, he lifts his head just enough to peek over the tips of his fingers, staring into nothing in particular. ]

Yeah.

[ What else is he supposed to say? ]

[shirtbag]

[ what does boothill even say?

this is the same reaction he had earlier, when he also had to relive the most traumatic moment of his own life. all he could do was to hold his head in his hands and somehow process the overwhelming hate and anger and sadness until he could temper himself. talking abated it somewhat, but it's an old and terrible wound ripped open again. it takes time to heal. ]

This dadgum weekly nonsense.

[ affection week is over, but boothill still sets a hand on aventurine's shoulder, trying to summon some dregs of comfort. he's half expecting to be shrugged off. ]

We'll make these goat muddle-fudgers pay for showin' us these forkin' things. Like livin' it once wasn't hell enough.

[tactic]

[ The hand on his shoulder pulls Aventurine from his thoughts, and he shoots Boothill a small, appreciative smile before dropping his hands from his face to reach for some napkins. ]

A little... warning next time would be nice.

[ At least then he would be able to steel himself for it, but maybe the entire purpose of these memories is to unbalance them. He doesn't know. He busies himself with clean up duty, mopping up the whiskey with the napkins while avoiding glass shards. ]

I don't know if it matters, but what you saw... If you could keep it between us.

[shirtbag]

[ as soon as aventurine starts cleaning, boothill gets up to swing over the bar and get a rag to clean up with. ]

You get your hand outta the way 'fore you cut yourself open.

[ he'll throw the napkins in a bin and start cleaning. he doesn't look aventurine in the eye—just focuses on the bar, remembering that broadcast in the last few moments of the memory. that ever-present hatred in his human heart flares up again. ]

Don't have to tell me twice. Makes me think 'bout how many of us are out there, though.

w4, friday.

[tactic]

[ Welcome to the hospital. It's been a long day of sleeping and taking visits, and by the time Boothill shows up, Aventurine is sitting up in bed and mildly dissociating. He's staring at nothing in particular, both hands tightly grasping the hospital blanket on his lap.

He's just having a time reliving the horrors, probably. ]

[shirtbag]

[ boothill walks in with... two white gummy smoothies. the fact that he doesn't even regard boothill when he walks in isn't a good sign—no acknowledgement, no quip. boothill pauses before closing the door and walking in, spurs clinking.

he offers a smoothie to aventurine. ]

Think ya' can stomach it?

[tactic]

[ It takes a second for Aventurine to snap out of it. He's got half of his face bandaged, his neck and right arm too, but surprise can still be seen flickering across his good eye when he looks up. ]

Oh, Boothill.

[ He's had a string of visitors so this really shouldn't be surprising, but each visit has taken him aback. At the offering of the smoothie, Aventurine accepts it. ]

Thanks... I guess I was out for a bit.

[shirtbag]

[ taking it is a good sign, even if the way aventurine spaced out wasn't very much so. boothill reaches for the chair nearby and pulls it in for a seat. ]

That ain't a surprise.

[ he nods his chin towards aventurine. ]

Springs didn't help?

[tactic]

[ Sometimes you are more psychologically damaged than anything else. ]

No, it helped. I no longer feel as though I'm on the verge of death, and my face doesn't hurt as much now.

[ He lightly touches at the bandages on his face for a second, before dropping his hand back down to hold the Jamba Juice. ]

Nehan might just be taking extra precautions.

[shirtbag]

So it helped, but it ain't healed ya' completely.

[ just like aqua. he's taking nona to the springs in a different thread too so i guess this happens to her. ]

Good thing he is. You two were in the worst shape I've ever seen.

[ he slips his hat off and leaves it on a nightstand nearby. ]

You wanna talk about it? Or I can leave it alone if that's better for ya' right now.

w7 saturday

[shirtbag]

[ drops them both back into bop to the top! unless you would like some soulful conversation at the barn ]

We're headin' back soon. Hopin' it's tomorrow.

[ he takes a drink! ]

You got everythin' in order?

[tactic]

[ DO NOT TAKE HIM BACK TO THE BARN

They can be at the bar!!! ]

Not everything, but that's what tonight's for. [ He'll also take a drink... ] Though I hear Karlach might be joining you.

[shirtbag]

[ almost spits his drink

coughs until he can get it down, pounding a fist against his metal chest, buffered by his jacket. ]

She, uh... She ain't comin' with me. More like the other way around.

[tactic]

[ RAISES HIS BROWS ]

Really?

[ There is so much intrigue here. ]

[shirtbag]

[ he waves a hand ]

She is gonna be helpin' me out with Oswalso Schneider business. I'm gonna be out there on The Hunt as long as he's livin' and breathin'.

But since I ain't got no home turf... I was gonna see what Faerun might have for me later on. That's all.

[tactic]

[ They've spent so much of their time bullying each other, but Aventurine won't deny he's grown a certain fondness for Boothill.

And that fondness goes double for Karlach, so there's genuine warmth coming off of him now. ]

... I hope it offers you everything you're seeking.