needabourbon | [003] [Video/Voice]

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[003] [Video/Voice]

[The camera clicks on while he's moving to prop the journal up on a table. The ashtray in view has a burning cigarette, sending a trail of spoke over the right edge of the camera's view. Jigen is grabbing a glass from the table and walking out of view, coming back with an empty bottle of bourbon. Whatever is left in the bottle, he's trying to poor it into the glass.

His fedora his lower over his eyes than usual and when he glances to look at the camera, dark cicles under his eyes make it seem like he was in a bad fight. He obviously hasn't been sleeping well. Last he had heard, his buddy Goemon might have been lifted by the Malnosso... After reaching up to scratch his goat-like beard, then taking the small swallow of what bourbon was in the glass he begins to speak with gravel in his throat.]

I know Goemon isn't dead but... Lupin and I... We're both a little messed up. [He falls silent again, staring at the camera. He takes his cigarettes from his pocket to light a new one, letting the one in the ashtray burn. At this rate, his room would have a sort of fog with the scent of his Pall Malls.] I've been drunk. Lupin's been drunk and angry. Seems like a really immature way of handling the situation but there's nothing else we can really do for him if he's really been picked up.

[Jigen removes the smoke from his lips and lowers his head, a shaky hand holding his fedora to his head to keep it from falling off. The hand with the cigarette reaches forward to the journal to turn off the camera and leave the audio running. The gravel in his voice shallows out, not that he's maybe about to lose it--but he's calming down in a way. For now.] If anyone knows anything about where Goemon might be, please let either of us know right away...

[He'll be at the bar later. If you find him there, he'll be drinking a couple of Dry Manhattans and want some quiet company. Also... Could someone possibly walk the old fool home before (or after) he passes out?]

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What does he look like? I'll keep an eye out for him.

Dark hair, kimono, katana... The whole get-up. He's the classic samurai.

Got it.

I know it's not much coming from a stranger, but... sorry. I hope he's okay.

He's my friend who lives at the lake house, Ginia. He's liable to hang in the woods when he gets back.

[When, not if. That was too much to think about.]

All right, good know. My patrols cover the woods, but I'll expand out a bit.

[There's a sign: since Jigen had already revealed their position in all of this...]

Please keep your eyes open for a spunky brunette too. Her name's Mine Fujiko. [She's his girlfriend...]

Sure thing.

Thanks, babe.

[Don't call me--]

...You're welcome.

[If there was one thing Adele understood, it was helplessness. Waiting. Between Giles, Helios' current circumstance something she didn't understand and was able to change, the sudden spike of individuals going missing from the village...were she less pressed to do something productive she would have very well joined Jigen in his drinking. After a few hours consideration she makes up her mind.

Instead she bundles up in her coat and scarf, jogging out to the bar inch by painful inch through the snowstorm. She didn't know him well, but she knew this grief borne of uncertainty. It takes longer than usual to make it to the bar and to dust herself off once there, but once inside she's sliding into the stool next to him and ordering coffee. One of them needed to be sober.]

...He will return in time.

[It wasn't so much the fact that Goemon was free from Luceti that was upsetting to Jigen, but the fact that he wasn't and was in the hands of the Malnosso. Had Goemon been returned to their world, then Jigen would be confident that everything would be fine. Now, the thought of some Malnosso side-effect was more concerning...

Every time the thought crossed his mind, he took another large swallow of the next Dry Manhattan lined up for him.]

At what cost...? I don't want something horrible to have happened to him.

Anything done is temporary. Whatever his condition it will fade in time. As his friend you need to be there for him should it be something distressing.

[He gives Adele a glance, holding the next drink close to his lips. If anything bad ever happened to Lupin or Goemon, Jigen knew he would be there for them. They were the closest to family he had.]

Of course I would be.

Then whatever may happen is surmountable. If he returns injured, contact me. No matter what the price, it can be made manageable. [She sips her coffee and looks over to Jigen, voice pitched to sooth.] No matter what, he'll survive it.

Goemon's a tough bat... [A small chuckle. They have all had their physical tortures before... He knew what Goemon was capable of handling. If the Malnosso would do anything worse than that if Goemon returned, then Jigen would worry.

His words are getting a bit lazy now. He gulps another shot of his Dry Manhattan and leans to press his hand against his eyes. It wasn't often that he let himself get drunk like this in front of anyone other than Lupin. It didn't feel as embarrassing more than it felt careless of himself. Jigen didn't really care at the moment and wouldn't let it get much further.]

I have a lot o' faith in tha' samurai...

He is a contemporary of Lupin. There is no way he could be anything other than exceptional. [She discreetly orders a glass of water for Jigen and reaches over to rest a hand on his back. It was...strange for her, but he shouldn't have to suffer this alone. He or Lupin. When the water comes she nudges it in his direction, very quietly hoping he'll take that up instead of ordering another Manhattan.]

[He'd been on Jigen's couch for God only knew how long, staring at ghosts of ideas and plans as they flittered just out of his grasp. He drank himself into oblivion after his meeting with Adele in the tunnels earler that week--and, with his journal punted into the forest, had spoken to very few people. Very few.

He rolled over on Jigen's couch, crushing a cigarette in a nearby ashtray, and grabbed a pillow to pull over his face.]

Jigen~~ [He's whining.] Why did you have to go announce it?

[Through a painful headache of a hangover, he remembered that Lupin had been housing himself right there on the couch. Maybe that's why he was out of bourbon so quickly.]

If someone has seen him, I want to know.

[Now he's removing his fedora to lean his warm face onto the cold wood of the table. The cigarette dangling between his lips.]

You should go get us more to drink...

[He tried to sit up, but his vision swam and head felt like a construction worker with a jackhammer was demolishing the neural networks. Waving his hand listlessly, he rolled again onto his side.]

Can't move. Sorry.

[irritably:] it was stupid to reveal our position...

[He's painfully standing up. The aches in his body rang out and only wished for something to drink to numb it. A slightly irritated sigh in response.]

Relax. The sooner we know the better I'll feel.

I'll go then. [He places his fedora gently onto his head and slowly makes his way toward the door.] Any requests?

[Jigen had a point. He always had a point. Lupin just groaned and buried his face in the pillow again.]

Water. Gatorade if you can find it.

[He drank heavily these last few days, stopping only to sleep or punt his journal into walls again--or stalk, when he could focus. What did Adele warn him of? Wasn't it not destroying his liver? With mind this off-balance, it was probably time to detox.]

[He gave a quiet nod before leaving the room. Some time later he came back with a few paper bags under his arms. From one of them he grabbed a couple of water bottles, setting them next to the ashtray nearest Lupin.

He placed the other bag on the table and pulled out a fresh bottle bourbon for himself. Though now that he looked at it he felt his body reject the idea of pumping more into his blood stream. With a sigh he put his head back down against the table to close his eyes.]

Thanks...

[Lupin pulls himself into a sitting position in a daze, briefly swaying as his balance righted itself, and reached for one of those bottles. The water, cold and clean, was refreshing in a small way. He sighed, and cradled his head in a hand.]

...There's not much we can do, is there? Just watch, wait, and strike decisively when the opportunity arises...

[He's keeping his head down on the table while looking over to Lupin. They weren't like this often and when they were it made Jigen feel vulnerable. It had taken him a while to understand why Lupin wanted to sober up now of all times. There was no way they could be hungover when they got the chance to make a move.]

Yeah... We've had our fun being drunk.

[He stands to make his way over to the couch, grabbing one of the water bottles for himself, and falls beside Lupin. As the water washes the taste of stale bourbon from his tongue, he tries to plot as well. Ideas and plans slipping in and out of possibilities and impossibilities.]

We have...

[He heaves a deep sigh, contemplating the possibilities. Then--as suddenly as he decided to start binging in the first place--he grabs the pillow he'd been hiding under and violently throws it across the room.]

Dammit! [With Goemon and Fujiko gone, and Pops acting oddly domestic lately, who were they going to rely on for prior information? Fujiko would know--Fujiko was there for far longer than the likely realized--but he hadn't seen even a smudge of her lipstick on his collar since Christmas.

He takes a swig of water.] These Malnosso bastards are playing us hard, Jigen. [No, the thief wasn't happy about this.]

[Jigen watches Lupin's rageful pillow-throwing. He could share in the anger but was much less quick to show it. Traumatic events throughout his past had readied his mind for times like these... Not to say it didn't frustrate Jigen beyond belief but what good was getting upset over an enemy they knew nothing about? He waited until Lupin had calmed a bit to speak again.]

As hard as it is, we can't let it get to us... [Though he mentally agreed with his own words, his heart was full of hatred toward the Malnosso.] We have to stay tactful and keep our emotions in line...

[A bro hand places itself on Lupin's shoulder.] Let's get a plan going. [Slight pause.] As soon as we're sober...

[He shakes his head, and runs both hands through his hair.] I know. I know. It just pisses me off, is all...

[The Malnosso had the upper hand here--they did the entire time, but they've made a move that Lupin simply couldn't brush aside. The enforced honesty only a couple of weeks after his arrival was one thing. Taking away a bunch of allies was another.] We're just pieces on a big game board for them, so many pawns or low-ball cards that they can toss away and forget about. I don't like it.

[He sighs.] I'm good now. I just--I just need to think is all.

[Vivi may not know the person speaking through the journal, but "Goemon" is a familiar name--the stoic but kind swordsman who'd helped her get home when she'd been shrunk by a Malnosso experiment.]

Your friend...was he kidnapped?

We think so... [He appreciates the response even if he doesn't know this woman.] When was the last time you heard from him?

Oh. It's been a while now since we last spoke. I don't think I have anything helpful to tell you.

[A pause.] How long has he been missing?

It's been a few days since we found out. Mind keeping an eye out for him?

[A nod.] Yes, if I see him, I'll let you know. What's your name?

Jigen.

If you happen to be around the forest near the lake, his home is the lake house. We've checked around there already but looking again couldn't hurt...

I understand, Jigen-san. I'll keep an eye out.

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