jigoku_logs | switchblade smiles

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switchblade smiles

[ WHO ]: The Once-ler, Garry, and some ghosts.
[ WHERE ]: The ~~grocery store~~ GOROGCEYR SOTRE
[ WHEN ]: The night of the Once-ler's birthday!
[ OPEN/CLOSED? ]: Closed!
[ RATING ]: PG-15
[ WARNINGS ]: There will be some gore and body horror.
[ NOTES ]: Sorry this log is so late, there were some things I needed to research first!

[He'd just been out for his ingredients with Saki, but they'd gone on without Garry and Garry apparently wanted Once-ler to head to the store with him. Well, far be it for him to deny a present on his birthday; he'd agreed to head out again. Aside from what he'd come to think of as 'usual activity', nothing too bad had happened the first time, so he figured it'd be a quiet night.

The automatic doors swept open with a pleasant 'ting as they went in. Once-ler was pleased to see the lights were all still on, and that all the fresh produce that was lined up looked good even at this time. That didn't mean it still would be when they left the store, but that was always a chance, wasn't it?

It was less of a chance with items that weren't food. Like most grocery stores he knew, they also had toiletries, some first aid supplies, a few household cleaners, one or two films or movies. Once-ler sneaked a glance at one of them, expecting them to be all horror movies. To his surprise, a few looked like romcoms.]

You could almost pretend you weren't in a haunted town in here, huh? [He smiles, looking around at the store.] What're we getting here?

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That's a secret! Even if you're right beside me when I get it all... [ Garry just chuckles, tilting his head in that usual way he does.

...he's never gone shopping with a fire poker held firmly in his right hand, though. he's worried how this is starting to feel 'normal' - so much for looking for jobs around the city and getting expensive coffee and candy at his favourite shops.

now he had to live off cheap bagged coffee, and whatever candy sounded okay in the store. the cheap cigarettes looked more and more appealing as the days went by. ]

I think it was in this section... [ ah there they were - eggs. he winces at them carefully, holding them up to the light. ]

Is there any way to tell if they're uh...gross...inside?

[He grins, content to let the secret remain a secret for now. His eyes also flick over to the tobacco stand behind the counter; unlike Garry, he had actually given into temptation and lifted some packs of cigars before. Maybe he should lift another? And some cigarettes for Garry; he is kind of eyeing the stand covetously.

He turns back at the mention of the eggs.] Hm? Nah, no, unfortunately not. [A shake of his head - he's sad, disgusted by this.] You just have to crack them into a separate bowl and hope for the best.

[ ...he grabs another carton of eggs, carefully placing it into the basket he'd grabbed when they'd entered the store beforehand.

next was- his room had flour, none of that, then. but he needed baking powder for sure... that was in the baking needs aisle, he peeks around the cartons, unfamiliar with most of the brands. thankfully with the magic of pictures, he grabs some cake mix that seems to be rainbow - also some baking powder overhead. ]

[Once-ler keeps his back to Garry as he rifles around the baking goods. Cute. Maybe he could just eat two cakes. Sorry Saki; you're not going to be getting that cake you guys bought the ingredients for yourself!]

It's weird that this is pretty well stocked, y'know? [He gestures around the store.] Wonder how. [Then he stops, thinks.] Nah, on seconds thoughts it's probably better not to know, huh?

[ dammit he'll feel bad when he realized you were making another cake - oh well.

Garry nods his head, pausing from his cake-grabbing to look around as well. ]

Yeah it... its unnerving for certain. I guess its better for us to just count our blessings.

[Don't. There's so much cake in this world and he'd love to eat all of the fresh ones.

He glances back over at the tobacco stall.]

Hey, mind if I go raid that for a moment? [He's not going to not give into temptation on his birthday, okay!] You want anything?

[ you'll get it, happy barfdarf. ]

Nnn...I shouldn't. Thank you though. I'll be in the candy aisle crabbing some things, so come there when you're done, alright?

Sure thing! [He gives him a wink - one that pretty much explicitly says you can get me a surprise this way! and saunters off to the shelves.]

[ he understands the wink - it brings a little smile to his lips when he sees it. but what exactly can he pick up here for a present besides cake that he'd want from him? he was already odd to teef his own brand of cigars... what else would a rich guy like him want from a grocery store of all places? he'd have to give it some thought...

he'd think about that after he got the candy, at least, and heads over to the next aisle. ]

[He lets himself behind the counter and reaches up to help himself to a pack or two of the most expensive pack there. They're still cheap as heck according to his luxuriant tastes but he's content to make do. Choosing something for Garry is a little harder; he looks like the time to like something menthol? He peers at the brands, getting absorbed in the task.]

[ b a d influence, Oncie - we're trying to quit!!

wow, this was a candy aisle he wasn't used to in the least. he could tell cake and eggs apart for sure, but what in the world were half of these sweets? it was certainly a vast selection... Garry bends down to peek at some chocolates. ]

'Meltykiss'... urgh my Japanese is minimal when speaking... this just looks completely alien to me...

[ well they looked yummy, at least, he opens the package to take one of the chocolates and pop it in his mouth. hmm, wow they melted quickly... they were pretty good. as he pops the box into his basket, he peers up at a blue package of candy, and stares at the package, trying to decipher what it might be. ]

[He pockets a few of those and turns to go back to Garry.

He nearly leaps a foot in the air when he finds himself toe-to-toe with a rather petite woman wearing a surgical mask.

His first thought is 'GHOST!' but the shout dies in his throat when he really looks at her. She's significantly more real looking than the other ghosts he's seen about here. Her flesh, while pale, is still human coloured, and her hair looks cared for and her eyes bright and human. She's almost pretty, even.

So maybe she's a new resident...?]

Um - hi -

[She starts speaking before he can continue.]

Do you think I'm pretty?

[ he pops one of the blue candies in his mouth, and is startled to find it almost tastes fizzy, really sweet. kind of like a soda candy... well, that would explain all the bottles on the front of the package. ]

Ra...mu... oh that's that soda drink...

[Once-ler glances in the direction of Garry, but he decides he can handle this himself. Giving the girl a big smile, he leans forward and pokes her nose.]

Well that's easy! You're one pretty lady, so yes!

[She gently bats his hand away, and then, eyes locked onto his, takes off her mask. He nearly screams at the sight of her ravaged face, the mouth split at the edges and stretching into a fake smile that went to her ears.]

How about now...?

[ he can hear Once-ler talking after he quiets down, and curiously tries to understand the ingredients on the back of a package before he calls out to him. ]

Once'? Is someone there with you?

[He's dimly aware of Garry shouting out to him, but it's hardly at the front of his mind. Retracting every thought that she wasn't a ghost, he tries to back away from her. She follows him, still grinning at him with that mutilated face, asking the question again.]

Am I pretty?

[What should he say? He doesn't want to offend her - heck no he doesn't. Who knows what she might do? The sensible thing to do would be to tell her that she was, right?

Plastering a false smile over his face, he nods.]

Y-yeah. You're really pretty... really pretty! Don't let anyone tell you otherwise, because -

I see.

[He screams as she grabs him, lightening quick and excessively strong. She keeps a firm grip of his air, the height difference bending him down as she pulls him close to her face. He struggles in her grip, terror pounding through his veins and adrenaline shooting all the way along his body. No matter how he struggles, she doesn't let him go.

And that's when she pulls out the scissors.]

G-Garry! Garry, help!

--?!

[ --what? what was going on? Garry drops the candy immediately and staggers to his feet, leaving the basket behind and gripping onto his fire poker for dear life. was something attacking him? he thought he heard a woman but it didn't give him any clues as to what to do.

as he appears at the end of the aisle he looks around wildly in the direction of the stall that sold the cigarettes. he pales as he sees the beautiful woman with the scissors, and wastes no time in dashing over in his panic. ]

Let him go!

[No such luck. She has something in mind, and Once-ler feels the cold, sharp edge of the scissors pressing against his lips. He jams them shut, hoping she'll slice and that's that, but no such luck. With ease that would alarm him if this situation was alarming enough as it was, she hits a pressure point to make him open his mouth, opens the scissors, slides one blade inside and the other on the outside and -

He's never been in this much pain. He screams, causing the cut to tear further.]

[ he hears his screams and he knows what's happened.

he's never been this angry before, he's sure - but he isn't sure, because Garry isn't thinking right now. he's thinking of how Once-ler is hurt, and how he needs to do everything in his power to protect him from being hurt any further. he's a good jogger, but he's never had to run this hard - or had to leap over a checkout aisle. he hears further sounds of pain as he stumbles to regain balance, nigh falling flat on his face; the sounds of flesh being cut in ways - flesh just should never have to make.

a few more steps even though he's already far too late to keep him from harm - he's too late but there's at least one thing he can do, for now, and Garry focuses the pointed tip of his fire poker straight into the grotesque face of the creature that's hurt his friend.

he swings right for her face with all the force he's got. ]

[He gets her, sending her head cracking backwards and the arm holding the scissors wrenching away. He was late, though; she'd already placed them against the corner of his other lip and the rip a smaller but just as bloody and painful tear in the Once-ler's cheek as they leave it.

He screams, further ripping the flesh and causing him to want to scream more. Tears are cascading down his face, tears of shock and anger and mostly pain. His fingers slip at his bloody face and he tries to hold the slit parts together, grinding his teeth to stop himself from screaming again but whimpering in agony.]

[ screaming will tear it more. he can't scream - he can't - Garry swings the poker again, his uneven voice breaking as he tries to help his friend as well. ]

You can't scream- I know its hard I know but you can't--!

[ he feels like he might cry. what a birthday this turned out to be - he feels horrible, racked with guilt and - he can't begin to help him until this thing is gone. its not like him to be brutal, he's always favoured being delicate than brutish. but its all he can do right now - he'll destroy this monster in front of them if he can. ]

[He does his best, he really does - but it's so hard not to. He chokes back whimpers and sobs, sounding like a child who just had a night terror. His knees feel weak and he buckles, sinking down to sit on the floor, gloved hands still pressed to his cheeks and trying to hold them in place.]

[ Garry staggers back, putting himself between the monster and Once-ler, he watches to make sure she wont rise again. ]

[She gets back to her feet. For a moment, there's hesitation. She clicks her gory scissors threateningly, and then, quite calmly, she puts her surgical mask back on.

Turning away, she glides out of the grocery store, seeming to vanish the moment she gets outside.

Once-ler groans from the floor.]

[ Garry falls to his knees - his entire body is shaking, from shock, and fear - this was worse than the gallery.

it was so much worse.

he turns quickly, crawling his way closer to Once-ler and carefully moving his hands from his face enough to see the damage done. a Glasgow smile. he needed to sew it. ice. thread. ]

I'll be right back- I- I need thread, ice. Stay here, don't scream- I know- it's h-hard- [ tears well up in his eyes, seeing his friend like this. something twists inside of him and he feels so responsible for all of this. ]

Don't speak- I'll be right back- I promise. I promise I'll help.

[ he dashes off, grip deathly on his fire poker, running off to grab the bag of ice, first. he nearly falls as he tries to turn a corner, banging his shoulder into a wrack and wincing in pain as he does. he's already panting from adrenaline and exertion as he grabs two smaller bags of ice. running back he crouches down by his friend, offering one of the bags. ]

It'll sting- but I need to numb it... or stitching you up- will hurt even more.

[ what he'd give to be a doctor right now. a doctor and not an artist- a useless useless artist- ]

[The thought of being tended to by items from a grocery store is a dulled horror in his mind, swallowed up by the knowledge that his face is split at the mouth and he needs to numb it, numb the pain. There's a lot of stupid thoughts running through his head now - how is he going to be in business now? Businessman with a slit-face? Haha. Ha. Hahahahaha.

Oh god he feels faint... he grabs for the ice and presses it against his cheek.]

...good.

[ his voice sounds weary as he says it, and he doesn't look too relieved about it. ]

Hold it there - over both, if you can. I'll be right back. I need to get thread and- needles.

[ he's up again - he has some thread in his pockets, he knows, but if he can find something stronger, maybe even thicker... it'd be better than his own sewing thread. it wasn't made for this. ice and thin thread... it wasn't made for sewing up your friends face.

can he even do this? what if he makes things worse for him?

but he swallows that down - because who else would care for him?

he's not about to tell his friend to die, just to fix his face. he could never do that.

soon he finds some thread - white. wait- to sterilize, sterilize... he needed alcohol. he runs a section over to try and find some - rubbing alcohol. there. he grabs two bottles. one for him one for... one for Once'. plastic gloves.

he runs back to him now. ]

[It doesn't stop hurting. In a strangely detached way, that's what he's amazed at.

And then he starts laughing, great sobbing laughs that make it hurt even more. Shock's setting in.]

[ he hears the laugh- and it makes him rush back to his side again. he brushes Once-ler's hair from his eyes, gently shushing him. ]

Shh, shh... it might get... it might get bigger if you don't stop moving. you need to calm down, alright?

I'll fix it, I...

[ this is why he could never have been a doctor. he isn't built for it. he feels too much. but he had to try today he had to try- no, he couldn't try.

he had to be a doctor, today. ]

[He's still chuckling even though he nods his head, unable to stop the reaction. He's almost in tears from the laughter - not from the pain, from the laughter. It's so stupid, and it hurts.

It's the pain that eventually cuts the laughter out. He mops at his eyes, mops at the pinked blood as it mixed with the melting ice from his face.]

[ quietly, Garry brushes his friends tears away as well, before turning to start to prep everything for... for the surgery. he pours some peroxide on his hands before he starts to thread the needle with white thread. it takes a few tries, with the tears pricking his eyes, but he gets it done, quickly, and turns back to his friend as he sterilizes the needle next. ]

It...it'll hurt. I'm so sorry- but I need to.

[He doesn't nod, he just squeezes his eyes shut, disbelieving that this is happening to him. There's not really much else he can do; Garry pouring the peroxide on the rubber gloves, onto the needle, sterilizing the thread... He tries to ignore it all.]

[ he sets to work slowly and with unsure hands - its only when that needle actually pierces his cold skin, that he realizes that he needs to be as careful as possible. he's only got this one bit of thread, and every stitch counts - the deadline is tomorrow, and the outfit has to be perfect...

and for Once-ler, how sure his stitches are will prepare him for an outfit he'll never be able to remove. it had to be perfect.

he sets to work. ]

[His mind just... blanks. He doesn't want to focus on this, doesn't want to be here. He's aware of the pain the same way he's aware of the moon - it's there, but it's distant, and it doesn't have much of an impact on him. Not right now. He retreats away from what's happening, numbed.]

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switchblade smiles

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maybe two more rounds then we get the ghostie in?

yes good

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cw: facial mutilation

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