(se) broke me in like the soles of your shoes

RIGBY

and this is why i have decided
to leave your house and home unhaunted

Wandering, nowhere to go and nowhere to be. Rigby's favorite part of living with no close connections was having nothing to tie him down. He could do whatever he wanted and the only person who he could disappoint was himself. There's no regret when you do things entirely for yourself, because no one is betting on you to do otherwise. So today as he slipped farther from the jungles he knew, he wondered if he should ever stop, who would miss him in Haulani?

It was beautiful out here after all. The lush green jungle of Torchline bled into something even more colorful, more magical. He wasn't much in bulk, but he was agile enough to navigate, the tangling tree limbs tried to trip him on several occasions but Rigby avoided any real damage. At some point he came across a bush covered in radiant yellow berries, and though he was cautious enough not to delve in, he picked some for later just in case they were worth something.

And deeper he trudged.

you don't need poltergeists for sidekicks

JACK

One of the best things about the world suddenly unfolding itself to them again is that there are a lot more places to do business. Shady business. A lot more places where one might hide, out of sight, and get things done so to speak, before moving on with their day. And it was from one of these places that Jack emerges, too occupied with whatever it is he has just finished doing to notice that someone else is prowling the Oerwoud.

And he nearly walks right into Rigby, sidestepping at the last second and raising a hand that has a blade in it almost on instinct. The sleeve of his shirt is stained red (who knows why), and the glare he levels on the youth could cut as easily as the knife between his fingers. Jack freezes like that, for a few seconds, before the hand starts to lower. "Afternoon," he grunts, like this sort of thing happens every day.

you wanted perfect, you got your perfect
but now I'm too perfect for someone like you

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

RIGBY

and this is why i have decided
to leave your house and home unhaunted

The jungle offered so many distractions for curious eyes. The berries, the vines, the animals that peered behind vibrant fronds. He found that every time he took his eyes off the ground directly before him, the impish weeds would take their chances with his ankles, nipping and tugging. So he tried to only look up when he wanted to stop for a moment and observe, check his surroundings and investigate the interesting things. Unfortunately that strategy failed to account for something, though the odds of it happening seemed so slim. Coincidences had a way of happening.

Rigby ducked at the sudden movement, stumbling back a few steps and tripping over a fucking root. In a flurry of limbs the ghost scrambled for some footing, finding it quickly and standing to face the man. Warm brown eyes were glued to the knife, and then the bloody cuffs, and lastly the glare on the other's face. There were a couple moments then that he thought the guy might end him then and there, and leave his body for the alien creatures of this jungle to devour.

But then the knife was lowered, and a greeting was offered. Rigby stood, rabbit heart beating fast, with a dumbfounded expression that quickly turned to a scowl. "The fuck was that? Afternoon?!" he snapped, brows narrowed and eyes dark. Even in such a dangerous place his fuse was short and his inhibitions impaired.

you don't need poltergeists for sidekicks

JACK

He trips and falls on his fucking arse, and Jack might have laughed if he still wasn't pumped with adrenaline himself from his prior business in the jungle. Still, he is getting absolutely zero in the way of threat from the youth, and that's enough for him to tuck the blade in the back of his belt again. Raising his eyebrows and jerking his chin up at the canopy above them, he considers it for a few seconds before grunting a concession.

"Aight, fine. Mornin'," he corrects himself, noting the blood on his cuffs suddenly and swearing under his breath. It's absolutely an annoyance at the stain rather than a concern about him knowing what it might be, the smuggler spending a few moments in rolling the sleeves to the elbow where they can't cause any further irritation.

"Don't just stand there, then. Or are you lost?" he wants to know, beckoning for Rigby to go ahead and fuck the fuck off, if that's what tickles his fancy.

you wanted perfect, you got your perfect
but now I'm too perfect for someone like you

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

RIGBY

and this is why i have decided
to leave your house and home unhaunted

Rigby's dark gaze widened at the reply, the incredulous mornin that was so stupid he almost snorted. Why was everything that'd happened to him recently so ridiculous? Threatened in multiple alleys, publicly attacked by a firling, whatever this situation was. He just wanted to be alone, to make his decisions and not have to worry about these weird intercessions, but they just kept happening.

He watched with a dangerously curious intrigue as the man rolled up his bloodied cuffs, watching him stop them at the elbow. His gaze remained there, distracted until words broke the silence (or absence of considering the lively jungle around them). Lost? He wasn't lost, the boy didn't get lost, he just found new pathways when the old ones got boring. Stubbornly he stared at Jack, mirthless now, and he shrugged. "Piss off," he snarled with a roll of his eyes, leaning back against the tree behind him.

He'd stand where he pleased.

you don't need poltergeists for sidekicks

JACK

Sounds like a you problem. That's what Jack wants to say, but of course that would involve replying directly to thoughts and feelings, and it's not really the done sort of thing in these parts. (Or anywhere at all). Especially when the aim of the game is to keep something as beneficial as fucking telepathy a secret. So Jack merely glowers right back at Rigby, expecting him to do something - anything at all, in fact - so when he merely leans back against a tree and tells him where to go, the captain can't help himself.

He barks out a laugh, glancing over his shoulder and shrugging. "If you insist," he says. "I'll leave the tiger to you then, shall I?" Is he lying? Possibly. Probably, even, if you know Jack even a fraction. But just maybe it wasn't a person he's been doing business with out there in the jungle.

you wanted perfect, you got your perfect
but now I'm too perfect for someone like you

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

RIGBY

and this is why i have decided
to leave your house and home unhaunted

Rigby's bitter farewell was met with a laugh and what he took to be a joke. Who knows really, with this new wild place. He was well versed in sarcasm and snide remarks and this certainly felt like that, but he couldn't help but glance beyond the other man's shoulder. The rustle in the foliage could be a tiger, but more likely it was more of those pesky vines, the breed that still tangled around in his shoelaces.

"You can deal with it on your way out," Rigby retorted in a low rumble, "or is it not the only pussy in this jungle." He crossed his legs and leaning further back against the trunk of the tree, chin tilted up with a youthful indignance.

you don't need poltergeists for sidekicks

JACK

"I dealt with it on my way in, though I can't say it was exactly pleased to see me." Jack's voice is a bit distant now, given that he's happily leaving Rigby to his own devices in the jungle. The captain has business back at shore - and besides, he needs to wash the blood out of his clothes before it sets in. Still, as the boy casually calls him out as a pussy, he barks out a laugh. "No," he calls. "It ain't the only pussy in this jungle - you're here, ain't you?"

Ah, if only he had illusion magic to spook the other man good and proper. Unfortunately, there's just the continued rustling of the jungle, the snaking vines, the chirping birds. And Jack, striding back towards where the trees thin out most - until one such vine catches him on the foot, and sends him tumbling hard into the undergrowth. "Son of a bitch."

you wanted perfect, you got your perfect
but now I'm too perfect for someone like you

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

RIGBY

and this is why i have decided
to leave your house and home unhaunted

Rigby rolled his eyes, sending Jack a look that practically oozed "eh", Whatever old dude. He glanced down as a particularly tricky vine tugged his laces, he kicked out to remove them with a small scowl. When he glanced back up to the sound of snapping, the other man was leaving. Good, that'd been the goal hadn't it? He shook his head, glancing away again to continue his loitering in peace, but once again he was distracted by a voice.

Honey brown gaze snapped back to the man, who was now nestled in the undergrowth, having tripped or been tripped or something like that. Rigby snickered, feeling completely inclined to taunt, "Sure you can make it out alone bud?" He flashed a mockingly innocent smile, as though he would actually even consider the company.

you don't need poltergeists for sidekicks

JACK

It's one of those situations where all he can really do is laugh. And so Jack does - his chuckles fill the jungle, and it's unclear whether he's finding genuine amusement in the situation or if he's burned the jungle down in his head five times already. Either way, he shoves himself to his knees, and as a voice - a super annoying voice, he's starting to decide - pipes up again. So this old dude decides to react in a comparatively non-age appropriate way.

In short, Jack grabs a mossy rock buried in the undergrowth and lobs it hard towards where he things the boy is loitering. What kind of a shit place this is to loiter, anyway. Hoping the rock has smacked him in the skull (or even better, the bollocks), Jack gets his feet under him and brushes himself off. Then he sets off again, making sure to stomp through the jungle towards Torchline. That'll teach those vines.

you wanted perfect, you got your perfect
but now I'm too perfect for someone like you

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

RIGBY

and this is why i have decided
to leave your house and home unhaunted

Rigby's antics were met with anger, a reaction he'd become fairly acquainted with. It was almost too fast, but he noticed the stone cutting through the air just in time to duck. It cracked against the tree behind him, and there was a brief fluttering in the branches above. His eyes shot back up to the taunted man, snorting when he saw him walking away. "Shit," he groaned with a shake of his head, reaching into his pocket for the familiar pack.

He watched the other leave, stomping petulantly, and he lit a cigarette. Satisfied with his work here he thought he'd just lean back and enjoy the moment. The vines had another idea, apparently upset by the commotion. One snaked it's way in front of his face and snatched the light right out of his lips. He scowled, whirling around to face the tree. The vines just retreated, playing a similarly impish game to the one he'd played.

Whatever, fuck this, he sneered, and with that he made his exit into the brush.

~FIN

you don't need poltergeists for sidekicks