Leave the lights on, will ya?

Be careful in the dark.

Girls - you're always welcome here, but it's gettin' a little crowded, huh? There's an open apartment down the hall. What do you think?

Minato, how're you feelin'? Got a little time?

[ooc: CHRONA, TSUBAKI AND GIRLJACKIE, ITS NOT THAT FATHER JACKIE DOESNT LOVE YOU ITS JUST THAT THERE ARE SO MANY PEOPLE IN THIS TINY APARTMENT AUUGH. I assume they've been there for the past couple days, yes? :> Jackie has been mobbed by girls dfkgjaklgfff he'll still take care of you babbies. WOO]

Got business to do, baby.

Don't wait up for me.

[ooc: OFF WE GO TO THE MALICE LOOOOGGGGG]

Can you believe it? My second Fourth of July spent here. The hell.

So.

A long time ago - on Earth - there was this country, England, who was amassing a huge empire. They had people ruling and regulating in every part of the globe. For a while, that was cool, and everyone drank tea and crumpets and crap.

But then one day the people in what would be America said, "you know, the British - er, the English - same thing - they're kinda being assholes to us. They don't help us a lot 'cause they're really far away, and they take all our money, and we don't get a say in decisions about our territories."

So a bunch of cool old guys got together and decided that they were gonna screw England over and wrote a Declaration of Independence. And then they had to go to war, since England was all "oh no you didn't", but they were free and that was awesome.

So every Fourth of July, we recognize Americans' propensity to exploding things by shooting off fireworks. Or, if you're an American stranded in Discedo, by lighting a bonfire. It's the closest I can get.

Who's with me?!

It's like this.

[Jackie has his back to the communicator, smoking on the Horton rooftop. It's not quite clear if he's turned it on on purpose or not. Either way, he takes a drag and continues.]

Some people...some...bad people, are....born that way. S'all there is to it.

Some people....become bad.

....And some people...




Some people don't mean it.




[ooc: SORRY FOR THE FAILPOST BUT I WANTED TO GET INTROSPECTIVE JACKIE ON MALICED!PEOPLE OUT AND STUFF, THIS ESPECIALLY APPLIES TO NILL AND KID, DARLINKS ILU. <3 TAGS LATER IN THE DAY MUST RUN, LOVE LOVE~]

When do babies start to walk? And talk?

D'you think she calls him "Daddy"....?

....eh. Why does that bother me, huh?

What else did you expect, Estacado?

Thanks for the card, Lilo. If we ever get back home we should all go surfing, eh? But you'll have to teach me how. Liked the dinner 'n show, too. Thanks.

I know everyone loves Nill, so we're having visiting hours, if you want. Don't set my apartment on fire or anything.

And don't think I've forgotten.

Got things to do, kid.

There's no justice. Not anywhere.

Just vengeance.

[ooc: strikes are hard to hack weee]

[There's no place like home, Discedo. Jackie is tucking Nill into her bed, the covers shifting gently. He murmurs something comforting to her, those things that parents always whisper to an upset child. Then he's moving towards the kitchen - hot chocolate is sometimes better than words. But something is amiss.

For a few moments he just stands there.]

Where's my son, Discedo?

[thiiiis is jackie checking his watch. He's perched on the top of the hospital like a demented gargoyle. When it was still dark he was adorned with his Darkness - feel free to have noticed that - but now he's just tired and old-looking. He hasn't been home since Nill flew off.]

Where's my daughter, Discedo?

[ooc: OKAY GUYS. I LOST MY TAG WINDOWS FOR ALL OF MY CHARACTERS FFFF.

IF YOU NEED A TAG FROM RIVER, JACKIE OR DUCKY, PLEASE LINK ME LOLLLL FFFF. My aim is marvelous mith or just post it here. ilu. <3]

How many deaths do you think it takes for the Scientists to stop fixing you up?

N-Nill.

Nill is gone.

[Jackie's stumbling over something in his haste. It crashes. He's crashing.

He would never say this ordinarily. But his daughter is gone - ]

Help. NIIIILLLL!

[ooc: oh daughter.]

....'s been over a year, hasn't it.

[Jackie takes a deep breath.]

Time flies.

[private, moderately hackable]
Didn't think it would be this long.

Funny. When I think about it...seems longer, doesn't it?

[another breath, and the soft click of a lighter.]

Ness, Jenny...Walter...Halloween and GUILT and all over it...

...the Darkness.

[this breath, and he's smoking. He saves the smokes for special occasions.]

Can't ever get away from you, can I?

Sometimes I wonder.

[fiddling with something. A clink of metal; it's the necklace Jenny gave him.]

...I'm sorry.

[he's quiet for a while. Then he switches his communicator to]

[locked to Johnny Garland, moderately hackable]

What am I going to do?

Kid's're gettin' sick around here, folks. Make sure to wash your hands and drink your orange juice.

Killer. Let's talk.

Roll, little man. Roll.

Huh.

[ooc: PS WHOEVER GAVE ME PAID TIME DFJGT ILU]

You're gonna be pissed that I'm not there, huh. Or maybe not. Not like you're my mom.

....

Happy mother's day, Sara. Hope you're doing fine without me.

Haha, "hope"...

[he clears his throat.]

Old faces're comin' in, huh? Think it means something?

Hey, Gilgamesh. King of Being Important. Got a place to stay? You know, before, you were trying to stay with my girl, makin' a move on her. S'all good, though, I forgive you. I'da done it if I were you.

Welcome back, guys.

- Nill.

Where is Nill.

You goddamn -

You bastards'd better be happy you're already dead - I would tear through your little -

[ooc: nerve tripped.

P.S. ALSO I THINK NARU SAID I COULD DO SOME STUFF WITH THE DARKLINGS DOES ANYONE WANT TO BE VISITED BY A DARKLING. THEY'LL STEAL YOUR PANTIES.]

[there's several moments of Jackie shuffling and coughing a bit.]

Uhh.

....

[he switches onto

locked to Nill, Aqualad]

You...you guys okay? I...uh...yeah. 'm...sorry.

[he's starting to feel a little bad for chasing Anemone out as well. Figuratively speaking, that is.]

We'll...uh....we can redecorate now. It'll be fun. We'll do some feng shui or something.

[footsteps, and his finger hovers over the off button before he stops abruptly.]

...Speaking of redecorating, Shinji, what the hell...?

....Johnn -



...




[that sounded a little like the communicator being thrown at the wall.]

Hey, kids...the Easter bunny came. He, uh, he told me sorry for being late. He...had a very important date.

Yeah.

[ooc: HEY AQUALAD NILL AND ANEMONE LOOK YOU GET A FEW CANDIES IN LITTLE BASKETS. THE EASTER BUNNY CAME 8Db]

Let's do the time warp again.