overjoyed_logs | Pre-Game Catchall | the grass grows greener on the other side

[In the hustle and bustle of the city, Steinbeck can't help but be drawn to places that are a little less chaotic. It's not that he has anything against that sort of thing, but he finds a certain comfort in places that take it a little easier, that are a little calmer in nature.]

[This bar is one of those places. It's not only the atmosphere he likes, but there's a person here who he can't help but return to. She's a nice girl, she's found, but she certainly knows things that even he, with all his charm, can't get on his own.]

[He's more than happy to listen to her performance - her voice is such a treat to hear - and after she's done, he'll wave at her from the table he's sitting at, smiling gaily.]

Hey. [He gestures to the seat next to him - come and chat, Lapis!] Good job, like always! It's always nice to catch one of your performances.

[He met the woman a while ago - an elderly lady, using him as a sympathetic ear as she talked on end about her grandson, how she had such high hopes he would be a Scarback, how she had done all her best to show him the true light of what he should become, and how it had never come to fruition. Steinbeck wasn't too interested until he heard just who that grandson was.]

[Ah. Here was a nice little opportunity he could use. Steinbeck, ever so warmly, had taken the woman's hands, assuring her that he would show her grandson what many had failed at doing so before.]

[He knew just what Jack is about - he had a reputation, so to speak, one that he had cultivated and reveled in like no one's business. It would be useful to rub elbows with a man like that. And so, Steinbeck made his way to the Company, managing to find himself in Jack's office after a few tries of getting past the security. It's a nice office. He hates it, instantly.]

[The door opens, and Steinbeck turns, hands clasped behind his back.]

Hello. [He smiles wide, friendly, ever so disarming (though he knows perfectly well, with a man like Jack, that this is not an easy task, said disarming).] A certain mutual friend of ours sent me to talk to you? I think you know who she is.

[If there's one thing Lapis likes better than performing for a crowd, it's seeing someone she knows in that crowd. It always lifts her mood even more, especially since it's someone she's on good terms with - always happy to chat and also give out info to him, if he needs it.

So she doesn't hesitate to step over to his table once she's done, her joyful mood from being on stage evident in how she smiles brightly. She isn't even the slightest bit winded as she takes a seat at his gesture, clearly still full of energy.]

Hi there, and thank you. I'm glad you were able to stop by, it's always nice to see a familiar face.

Aw, well, you know I take any chance I can get to hear you sing. I'm so busy nowadays I don't always have time to stop by here all the time, you know? It's a shame.

[He leans his cheek on his hand, smiling warmly as she sits next to him. It's hard to feel positive about many things, nowadays. But sometimes, he can take a break like this, and be distracted for a while from the fact that he's a revolutionary whose days may be numbered.]

It's amazing how long you can go, though. I couldn't sing half the stuff you do without my throat getting all hoarse.

Edited 2017-01-10 15:44 (UTC)

Well, if you ever want to hear me sing outside the bar, you're more than welcome to ask. I know how it feels to be super busy.

[Some of her days are spent gathering and dispensing info, and then going straight to singing at night. Luckily she can run on very little sleep.

She moves to rest her chin in her hands, her smile softening slightly as the adrenaline eases - now going back to her usual calmness. Though she does still giggle quietly at his words, grinning for a moment.]

That's thanks to almost a decade of experience. I'm pretty sure I lost my voice the first few times I started singing, so you just need some practice!

[ Jack isn't exactly busy today, and really? That's probably the only reason that Steinbeck was allowed through at all. Despite his eccentric personality (or maybe it was just another odd part of it), Jack was something of a workaholic, so when he was busy? He wouldn't see anyone. His people knew that, so when he gets a call saying that someone's heading his way, he's expecting a contact or someone with a problem that they need Jack to fix. That's the usual reason that people come to visit him personally, because there was discretion in personal meetings that email didn't quite lend itself to.

Of course, he's more than a little disappointed when it's a Scarback that's at his office door.

He doesn't say anything at first. He just stares at Steinbeck, unimpressed, as he twirls his pen around his thumb. He's waiting for him to get to his point, but it's not one that he would have expected. Jack's mismatched eyes immediately narrow, and he stops twirling his pen idly. ]

Oh, yeah? Well, look, I'm not buyin' what you're sellin', so why don't you just turn your happy ass back around and go back to-- I dunno. Wherever you idiots hang out. Not here.

[ Jack motions with his pen towards the door as if encouraging him out, but his reaction is still fairly muted. Steinbeck said she, and Jack has a guess at who he means, but it's also one he'd rather not indulge. So he chooses to ignore it unless Steinbeck elaborates. ]

Go on. Door's open, kiddo, and I won't punch you in the face for wasting my time if you head out now.

Edited 2017-01-11 01:26 (UTC)

What, really? [He beams wide, looking a little surprised. Now that would be a treat.] Aw, no, Lapis, you're really too nice. That would be a good thing to have sometime...ha, I'd feel honored to have a performance just for me!

[He scratches the back of his head, his grin sheepish.]

My ma back home always used to sing to me, you know? I know a few songs, but I'm a bit shy when it comes to singing them to anyone else. I guess I could just always practice on my own, though...

Oh, I'm not selling anything.

[He hates that misconception, that Scarbacks were merely like shopkeepers, trying to push their wares upon others. You couldn't sell a thing like faith.]

Ah, I'm sorry, but I won't be heading out now. [His voice is level. He wants to be the opposite of a problem - just a calm presence, unable to cause any harm or trouble.] You see, your relative...well, I know she's sent people like me before. Some effort to try and convert you, I suppose.

[A pause. He lets that sit in the air for a bit, those words, before he begins speaking again.]

But honestly, I'm just here to check on you in her stead. She's not the kind of lady who likes being kept in the dark, y'know.

[ Jack's eyes narrow further when Steinbeck refuses to leave, but that offense is simple. People don't tell Handsome Jack "no," and he's considering the quickest way to make sure this asshole Scarback understands that, but his clarification stops that thought quickly. Jack's expression doesn't change hardly at all, but just barely, his jaw sets more tightly.

He twirls the pen around his thumb again, but this time, it comes to rest in his fist after the whimsical motion. He's holding it more like a weapon, but he doesn't stand. Jack is well known for being amiable and over the top, but when he speaks, his voice is icy. ]

Get the hell out of my office.

[ Because if there's something Jack hates more than the scumbags that come through this place, it's himself. Or at least, his old self, and his dear old grandma was a part of that. ]

Or, y'know, I'll break your hands. To start. You ever look to see what happened to the guys that came before you?

Oh, I know.

[He says it with a sense of cheer, as if he's saying something akin to "oh, yes, I did notice the magnolias were blooming well this year, thanks for reminding me!". He doesn't even budge when Jack's tone darkens - the only change is a slight narrowing of his eyes, the edge of his mouth slightly moving upwards.]

Jack, please, I'm not here to fight, or try to make you into a believer. She wants that, but honestly, I'm not going to waste my time with it. She doesn't want hear that I've failed where so many have done so before, though, so I'm just here for...well, for the sake of being here and telling her what she needs to hear.

[There's a long pause. Talking to his grandma, he got a very keen sense of just what type of man Jack is. He's not going to waste time trying to persuade him, no...he knows he needs to do something Jack will approve of only because it benefits him, in the long run. He needs this connection. He can't let this drop, now, not when he needs it most.]

...If you send me out, Jack, you know she'll send more in my stead, right? And unlike me, most of them will talk your ear off about our faith. And I'm sure you wouldn't want that, right?

Edited (night of a thousand typos) 2017-01-11 03:09 (UTC)

Yeah, really. [Seeing how he beams at her offer causes her to smile once more - glad that he seems pretty happy about it.]

Well, I would be more than happy to perform just for you. I always like performing for people I know.

[She doesn't say the "friend" word, because she will probably break herself trying to say that. What is friendship etc, etc.]

I can always give you some tips too. Then when you visit your mom, you can surprise her by singing one of the songs to her.

[She might be... lowkey jealous about how close he is to his family. But it's a feel she completely ignores.]

[ There's anger coiled in Jack's gut like a tightly wound spring, and he makes no real effort to hide that. It might seem unwise, because it makes it clear that Steinbeck has stumbled upon a particularly sore subject, but Jack isn't thinking that far ahead. All he's thinking now is the quickest way to get this Scarback to leave, and secondary to that, if it's worth it to shoot him in the back when he turns. Killing Scarbacks is frowned upon, but oh, it would feel so good to do it that he's seriously considering throwing caution to the wind.

His pistol is sitting nearby, just within reach, but he holds off on that desire for now. Jack's fists clench where they rest on his desk. ]

Yeah, you ever heard of lying? You- You really don't have to be here and come interrupt my goddamn day.

[ He listens to Steinbeck's suggestion, though it may not be clear, considering his ire doesn't soften in the slightest. ]

Because even if you're a shit Scarback, you're still one of them. You really feeling so charitable as to actually listen to an old woman and risk me shooting you in the throat?

Oh? And what would you like me to do, tell tall tales of a man I barely know? You know her, Jack. She's not the type to just take someone at their word, and I'm hardly a good enough liar to try to convince a woman like that.

[She was quite the case, he had to say. She had her own vision of the world that nobody could even dare try to change. You couldn't reason with her.]

[At Jack's question, Steinbeck just lets out a short laugh, his shoulders going up in a shrug.]

No, this isn't charity. I'm not going to play pretend here. That would just be insulting someone as smart as you. [He folds his arms, letting out a slight sigh before he continues.]

I want my people to stop coming back injured every time she sends them to you. I'm willing to put myself in this situation so they don't have to deal with this. And I'm sure you want your grandmother to stay out of your life as much as possible. [A pause - he lets a bit of insistence creep into his tone, though his voice is still level.] There's a mutual benefit here, Jack, that's what I'm trying to say. All we need is a quick chat every so often so that she'll be satisfied. That's all.

You're the sweetest.

[And he does mean it. It's not often he finds people like Lapis, who still have a touch of something softer than the world around them offers daily.]

Aw, really? You'd do that? [His grin is no longer sheepish - he seems genuinely happy now.] Is it hard? To learn how to sing, I mean.

[It's harder than he thought, to find a man like Lavi. Steinbeck's been searching for him all day throughout Old Town not for any particular reason - it's just because he's bored, and the Resistance isn't doing anything at the moment, and Steinbeck is metaphorically running as hard as he can away from that indescribable feeling called "loneliness".]

[He's checked all the spots Lavi could be, and now the only one left is a certain bar he knows Lavi hangs around in. He enters, casting his gaze over the crowd inside, before he steps up to the counter. There's some guy with purple hair next to him, but Steinbeck ignores him, turning to the bartender.]

Hey, have you seen a man around here? He's kind of average looking, he's got bright orange hair, wears an eyepatch? Does that ring a bell?

[He says, not even knowing that the person next to him might have several bells ringing by overhearing that description.]

[For Steinbeck, it seemed like his life was cut in half. There was the Steinbeck of the past, the Westerley native, a cheerful but dark soul whose appetite for violence and bloodshed somehow didn't overshadow the nice, pleasant life he had with family and friends. And then there was the Steinbeck of now, who had turned to dark extremes and found solace in faith and strange ideas of roots and earth and vengeance. Somehow, connections between the two remained, and more often than not, they came in the form of people.]

[And one of those people was a young girl he thought he'd never see again. And yet, as he was passing through the streets of Westerley, he had stopped in shock, because he had suddenly seen that young girl just pass right by him in the crowd. The long black hair, those deep eyes...it couldn't be.]

Alice? [He blinks. It can't be. It's been so long. She's older now, it can't be her, and yet...he turns around, quickens his pace, raising his voice to get her attention.] Hey, Alice...hey, Alice, turn around! Is it really you...?

Come on now, you look so upset to see me.

[Another day, another time to mess with the people he hates the most. Namely, Company people and people from the Nines. And more specifically, a man by the name of Rhys, who had oh so unluckily fell under the heel of the Resistance.]

[They're somewhere out in Leith in a less crowded section of the city. Steinbeck's been tasked with keeping an eye on the man. Yes, he seemed stupid, but any wrong move, and a nice little tie would be lost for good, and Steinbeck can't have that. So, he's here to do a little check-up, so to speak.]

[They've met in an alleyway, where they can discuss things in secret. Rhys is a nervous little thing, in Steinbeck's opinion, and it's good to have him here in a place where he won't get any help from anyone if he wanted to.]

[Steinbeck smiles like a snake.]

Tell me, how have been things going for you?

[ Alice had tried, once more, to venture out on her own. Some days, she's successful and other days, not so much. Today was easily leaning towards the latter part, Alice was growing more anxious, finding the basic task of just shopping too daunting. It's been six months and it shouldn't have been so difficult, she should be used to it, she felt. But six months is nothing in comparison to ten years and so much can happen in ten years.

Alice was once a very jovial girl, she was difficult to contain, she would often wander off on her own much to her sister's dismay, always chatty and happy. But an older Alice looked drained, her long hair in her face as Alice was pitifully trying to muster up the will to force herself out. Just as Alice was thinking about turning back, admitting defeat, the voice behind her causes Alice to stop. She dreads to sEE who it is, so Alice doesn' turn around right away. She stands there, scrunching up her eyes.

Who is it now?

Usually if someone calls out to her, it's never a good thing. What did I do? Alice turns around, expecting something else, something worse, and- ]

Oh.

[ Her memory isn't broken --- too much, that is. Alice remembers him and despite the anxiety wracking in her mind and body, her shoulders drop in relief. She remembers him, John Steinbeck, a boy a few years older than him, one of the few children she ever knew and how happy that made her parents and sister. Does she look terrible? Does he know like everyone else? ]

Yes, it's me. [ She must look terrible, she hasn't slept well in the past few weeks. ] Ah, John? It's been quite some time.

[She's so different.]

[She's so worn, like a doll that's been left in the dark for years before being unearthed. He remembers a cheerful girl with bright eyes. There's barely any brightness in her eyes now.]

Alice...

[He breaths, eyes not leaving hers. What happened? He was too young, too naive to understand what had gone on in her life, and he was too caught up in his own issues to really set aside time to think over it. But the memories are good. She was a good friend, and it saddened him to think he would never see her again.]

It's really been too long. It's...really good to see you.

[And he's sincere about that.]

Are you doing okay...?

[ Alice wasn't sure how to respond. It felt like every movement was delayed, overly considered by her. She almost was like a stray cat standing there, eyes wide green eyes, unsure whether or not to dart off.

But running away would be a terrible thing to do. Really, she wasn't sure how to stomach anyone that her family associated with beyond the family lawyer, who she was very certain was trying to take away her inheritance completely. ]

Ten years.

[ Well, this is just awkward and she's awkward. ]

Me? I'm fine. I was... [ Alice has to stop and look around, always aware of her surroundings, ready to flee. ] I was trying to venture out.

[ And that must sound utterly stupid. What a great icebreaker, admitting to being a shut-in. ]

Ten years.

[He repeats, like he can't even fathom the number. Ten years. And it's like they were two different people now.]

[It's certainly awkward. He'd be lying if he said it wasn't. But that isn't going to stop him from reaching out and finding out just why she has to venture out in the first place. But this isn't the place for that. He reaches up a hand to scratch the back of his neck, his voice quiet:]

I see. [A pause.] Hey, do you want to go somewhere quieter? I can take you to a local place that serves some nice food around here...are you hungry?

[That gets a blink, her own expression turning something that seems faintly sheepish. She's not really used to being called anything like that.

And so she's not really sure how to respond. Instead quickly focusing on what he says next, not hesitating to nod with a faint smile.]

Of course I would. It's not too hard, I taught myself just using instruction videos I found. But you'll need to keep at it!

[Unfortunately for Steinbeck, the bartender isn't about to admit knowing Lavi - not right next to the man's partner, when he doesn't even know why he's asking. So he smiles and shrugs, gaze flickering to Kanda and back, before asking if he wanted a drink instead.

Kanda, however, had turned enough to eye the stranger, frown at the scarback robes. Given the trappings, it's all too likely that Lavi's friends with the guy, but all the same...]

What're you looking for that idiot for, hm?

[An implication, rather than an admission of knowing the man in question for now. At least, until intentions are made a little clearer.]

Quieter?

[ At the rate she's going, the more limited she is in her responses. Alice wanted to push herself, but she felt more and more backed into a corner by the passing second. ]

I, ah-

[ Alice finally relents. ]

I'm not hungry, though I would quite like to go some place quieter.

Sure thing! I mean, it's too noisy here.

[And too nerve-wracking - he can see how a place like this would push someone out of their comfort zone. He wants to talk to Alice, but he doesn't want to see her like this, slowly withdrawing into herself.]

[He offers her a hand to take, smiling brightly.]

Let's go.

Pre-Game Catchall | the grass grows greener on the other side

for Lapis

for Jack (first meeting)

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for Kanda

for Alice

for Rhys

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