prank #37 | video

[ghostytrainer]

[When John clicks on the feed today, he's accompanied by not one, but two Lopunnies. The One of them (Casey, judging by the pink sweater) is half-cradling the other and stroking its head, occasionally making shhh'ing noises. A Shinx lays next to them, and in John's lap rests the head of the saddest looking shiny Gallade you'll ever see. John himself looks exhausted, though moreso in the emotional sense than the sense of needing to take a nap.]

[He stares at the screen blankly for a good minute before finally speaking, in a voice that sounds as dull and tired as he looks.]

Vriska Serket has gone back home. If any of her Pokemon found their way to you, please let me know. I want to make sure they're all accounted for. And if they did just...promise me that you will take good care of them.

[He falls silent again, looking as though there's more he wants to say. In the end, he can't figure out what to say and ends up tightening his grip on the (what appears to be) a piece of twine clenched in his right hand.]

That's all.

[Click.]

Comments

[usedshooshpap]

Two of them over here.

[ghostytrainer]

Mmm, so that makes five. Out of [He pauses for a moment to do a mental count.] eighteen. Which two, if you don't mind my asking?

[papshooshing]

A Golbat and a Kadabra.

[moveslikestrider]

Two of them here. Arcanine and Houndoom.

[video]

[quickattackjack]

Dear boy, I'm sorry.

[ghostytrainer]

Which makes seven. Hah...if the rest stayed together in pairs and triples, we will have them all in no time.

[ghostytrainer]

Alright. Thanks for letting me know, Karkat. I appreciate it.

[He smiles, but it doesn't have any of John's usual warmth to it.]

[video]

[ghostytrainer]

[Shrug.]

It happens. Three times, in her case, so I won't be surprised if she turns up in a week or so. Though this reminds me. Are you doing okay?

[Since this is the first time they've spoken since OF left, and all.]

[video]

[quickattackjack]

_{[The ex-skeleton returns the shrug.]}

I certainly hope she's gone home to a nice place.

_{[That doesn't answer his question, Jack.]}

[moveslikestrider]

...yeah. So, are you staying up late tonight? I mean if you want to join the night owl club there's always two members of it hanging round.

video

[islandshore]

Well, I wound up with her Eevee.

[Which he has no idea what to do with. Forty-eight Pokémon of his own, not to mention the others he's boarded at the TC...

Ah well, this isn't about him.]

Still, I'm sorry to hear that, John. Stuff like this is never easy.

[ghostytrainer]

I don't know. I'm not really tired but at the same time, sleeping sounds kind of appealing right now. After I track down all her Pokemon, of course.

[It's a complicated emotion, Dave. Very complicated.]

[eclectical]

I didn't get any of her Pokémon, but... I'm sorry, John.

[moveslikestrider]

[He knows. He went through this when he found Bro was missing. Just...yeah.]

We'll find where they all went.

[video]

[ghostytrainer]

Mmm...I wish I could tell you that she does.

[But she doesn't. She gets to return to her own death, isn't that fun?]

You didn't answer my question though...

[video]

[quickattackjack]

<sub>[ >RUN]

[COULDN'T ESCAPE!]</sub>

I miss him very much, he was a dear friend.

video

[ghostytrainer]

Yeah. Especially when they've been here a while. Kind of lures you into a false sense of security about the whole thing. I mean...I always knew she could leave but...

[He trails off. But what? But he didn't expect her to? But he really hoped she wouldn't? He's not sure. Probably both and a couple of other things too.]

...thanks for letting me know, Riku. I have almost managed to track down half of them now.

[ghostytrainer]

Hey, it's not your fault. And you know how many times she's been here now and how quick she is to come back. I bet we'll turn on our gears to find a whole bunch of cerulean blue 8-spam on the network in a couple of days.

[ghostytrainer]

Yeah...

[He begins to idly stroke the Gallade's head.]

And I'm sure they all wound up with good people so I probably have nothing to worry about.

[He's just talking for the sake of continuing the conversation, you understand right, Dave? He's just not quite ready to dive into everything he's feeling right now and talk about it. And even if he is ready...he still may not talk, because this is John and he's kind of a huge hypocrite when it comes to the whole 'don't bottle your feelings' thing.]

[video]

[ghostytrainer]

Yeah...me too.

[Granted, it's a little different for John. The Other Father wasn't just a friend, he was the closest thing John had had to a Dad in a year. It's hard not having that anymore.]

Did you...I mean are you... [WHAT IS HE TRYING TO SAY HERE???] who's taking care of his house now?

[video]

[quickattackjack]

I don't know. He did ask that I stop by once in a while and see how all of you are doing.

_{[Which you haven't done yet. GOOD JOB, SKEELINGDOUCHE.]}

[video]

[ghostytrainer]

Oh. Well...I wonder if anybody is even over there then. We all went over to Kanto for the tournament last month and then dad left so we...haven't been back.

[TOO EMOTIONAL, CAN'T DEAL. GOOD JOB, JOHN, THE HOUSE IS PROBABLY EMPTY AND FALLING INTO DISREPAIR OR SOMETHING BECAUSE YOU COULDN'T DEAL WITH YOUR FEELS.

[video]

[quickattackjack]

O-oh.

_{[Jack fumbles with his glasses a little. He isn't entirely sure what to do about that.]}

I've recently come into a new home, so if any of you are ever in the area and need somewhere to stay...

[roemance]

Vris is gone...?

[moveslikestrider]

Yeah they probably did. Have you eaten yet?

[Oh he gets it. Whatever you need he'll do as far as talking goes. So long as they don't drift into the possibility of him saying anything about recent events. Be the hypocrite, it means he can keep the lid firmly jammed down on the fourteen year old jar of issues he's got going on.]