Chapter Text
“BUT DUDE, 1F Y0U EV3R N33D H3LP TR4SH1N' GUYS UP? H1T ME UP, DUDE.
ANYT1ME.”
Griefer meant it when he said it. If Player was going to need to do some ass kicking, he wanted to be along for the ride. He handed over his card with a grin on his face, ready to beat some punks whenever his new ally needed it.
A few weeks later…
A knock came on the door.
Griefer ignored it and flipped over in bed. But it came again, and he decided that it wasn’t worth it to just sit there and listen to this incessant knocking. He rolled out of bed and shuffled over to the door,
“D4D, WHAT D0 YOU W4N-”
His father was not the person standing at his door that early morning. Instead, it was Player themself. The Icedagger on their belt with the Venomshank (which he couldn’t help but shudder at slightly) and the Ghostwalker strapped on their back.
“Hello Griefer!” Said Player, “Remember that card you gave me a couple weeks back?”
“Y3S...”
“I’ve come to take you up on your offer. I’m headed to the desert to get the Firebrand. Want to come?” Player extended their arm with Griefer’s card in hand, as if they were redeeming a coupon of sorts.
Griefer sighed, of course Player was going to ask him this at this godforsaken early hour, was the sun even up yet? But whatever, he had nothing better to do anyways. “Y3AH SUR3 JU5T G1VE ME 4 MINUT3, WA1T DOWN5TA1RS 0R SOM3TH1NG.” At that, Player nodded and headed down the flight of stairs, probably to bother Mayor Thanyel while they waited.
Griefer flipped on the light to his room and walked over to his closet. He threw on his coat, slid on his baggy pants, and snagged his hat, still getting used to fitting it over to the new plant-ponytail sprouting out of his head. Brushing vines out of his face, he crouched down to look for his shoes, finding them under a pile of dirty laundry. Turning to face himself in the mirror, he was still taken aback by all of his plant features, but if Player said he looked a lot cooler with them, he probably did.
Later that morning, Player and Griefer set off for Bizville, arriving at around noon. Griefer couldn’t get enough of the place, stopping by at every street corner and shop to goggle at the buildings and shiny stores. Walking from the airport, Griefer caught sight of a cornershop called “In the Cards”
“H0LY CR4P TH3Y HAV3 TH3 NEW GR33N G00P SET?! DUDE 1’LL B3 BACK I’M GONN4 G3T SOME 0F THOS3”
Griefer saw Player chuckle slightly before he dashed off to the front of the store and yanked at the door. It did not open. Griefer peered into the store and saw all the lights were down and nobody was behind the cashier desk.
“Y0U HAV3 GOT T0 BE K1DDING M3. IT’S CL0S3D.”
“It’s closed on weekends.” Player responded with a slight smile, “Unfortunate I know, but we can come back some other time! Let’s head to the docks.”
Griefer groaned, of COURSE he couldn’t have any fun. Whatever, he’ll be kicking punks soon enough once they get to the desert.
“Have you been to Bizville before?” Player asked.
Griefer was slightly surprised, he assumed Player wasn’t one for small talk.
“W3LL, MY D4D TOOK M3 HER3 A F3W YEAR5 B4CK. AR0UND 5 MAYB3? IT WA5 B3FORE I START3D MY… R3BELLI0US STR3AK. H4H.” Griefer broke into a thin smile, “ONC3 I B3GAN ASK1NG M0RE QU3STION5 AB0UT TH3 V3NOMSH4NK, H3 ONLY SP3NT LESS TIM3 AWAY FR0M IT.” Now that Griefer knew the effect that those swords could have on someone’s mental state, he understood his father just a little more.
Player nodded in response, turning for a moment in thought and replied, “Once we get back, I can show you around if you’d like.”
“Y3AH THAT’D B3 COOL!”
The two approached the Docks. At the beach there was lively music playing, seemingly coming from the lifeguard’s chair. Player led the way, turning left and heading towards the boardwalk. At the start of the planks stood a woman with a pink outfit, pink beanie, and long brown hair.
“Hello Kyoko!” Greeted Player.
“Hey! What’s up dude! Haven’t seen you in a while… Heh!” Kyoko exclaimed. Her gaze then turned to Griefer, confusion crossed her face before it turned to recognition. “...Brad? Is that you? You look… uh.. Leafy.”
Griefer’s face flushed and he tucked his hands into his jacket pockets. “UH.. Y3AH.. I S0RTA TURN3D MYS3LF INT0 A BUB0NIC PL4NT AND STUFF.”
“Oh yeah! I mean, I knew about that part. Player told me about that last time I saw them.” Kyoko responded. At this, Griefer gave Player a look, partially accusing, partially amused. Kyoko continued, “What I’m really curious about is how you got back to being uh.. Human, kinda?”
“YK0W, 1 ACTU4LLY HAV3 N0 ID3A. PL4YER, WHAT D1D Y0U EV3N D0?”
Player perked up, as if they were previously lost in thought. “Well, I had to make an interesting dish from the cookbook of Mayor Monty, the one from Roadtown. I found the recipe in a cave up the river in the Rugged Rainforest, had a friend of mine cook it, and brought it back for Plant Griefer to eat.”
“How’d you even get up the river?” Kyoko asked, “That thing has a pretty strong current, I’ve heard there’s even carnivorous fish!”
Player looked at the two of them blankly and said, “I swam.”
Griefer and Kyoko exchanged a glance, Kyoko with a look of mild concern on her face and Griefer holding back a snicker.
“How do you two know each other?” Player queried, catching the others by surprise.
“Well,” replied Kyoko, “we’re childhood friends. My mom was friends with Brad’s dad, but that was until-”
“D0N’T W0RRY 4BOUT IT.”
Player looked down, seemingly ashamed of where their question led. Kyoko quickly jumped in, “Well! Player, I didn’t think you would befriend Brad. No offence or anything pal, but I can’t say you’re the friendliest.”
Griefer chuckled in response. “Y3AH F4CTS”
“Anyways,” Continued Kyoko “What brought you two to the Bizville docks today?”
“Shedletsky’s Quest.” Replied Player
“Oh, another one of those quests? Cool! Where are you headed this time?”
“The Desert”
At this, Kyoko paused. An unreadable expression briefly flashed across her face before returning back to her normal smile. “Ah! ...The Desert! w-Well I won’t hold you up then! Have fun out there!”
Despite Kyoko’s well put up image, Player spotted the crack in her facade. “Kyoko, are you ok?”
While Kyoko explained to Player about her sister heading off to the desert and not returning since, Griefer thought back trying to remember Kyoko’s older sibling. All he could bring to mind was her being very serious, it was very difficult for either him or Kyoko to ever get her to laugh. Nonetheless, she was really only a blur to him.
“Just.. be careful out there, ok?” Kyoko asked Player
Player stood there for a moment, Griefer noticed a sort of defeated look in their eyes before they moved to speak.
“I promise.”
Kyoko let out what seemed to be a breath of relief. “...Thank you. If you - either of you - need anything at all, just let me know.” As Griefer said his farewell to Kyoko and turned to continue along the boardwalk, he heard Kyoko murmur “I’m always rooting for you.”
Griefer and Player walked along the planks and came over to a man standing near a motorboat. “The name’s Fisherman Fred, ye folks need a ride?” Player nodded and Fred continued. “Where shall err deep sea adventures lead us, matey!?”
“Vermillion Village.” Player responded, pointing out a location on Fred’s map.
“Right then, let’s ship off.” Declared Fred.
As they pulled away from the dock, Griefer looked over the edge of the ship at the deep water below its hull. Footsteps came up from behind and he felt Player come stand next to him.
“Scared of a little water?” They asked.
“N0T A CH4NC3.”
Player then looked back at the boardwalk. “Look!” they exclaimed, “It’s Kyoko!”
There at the dock stood Kyoko, briefcase in one hand with the other outstretched in the air waving at the two of them. Player stuck up their arm to wave back, and Griefer moved to follow. They stood there waving until Kyoko was merely a speck in the distance as water lined the horizon.