Ginky and Infant's Bizarre Encounter! A One-on-One Battle! Breathe vs. Weezer!

[GinkyGotBack]

Nunavut.

Canada's largest and most northerly territory. Created in 1999 out of the eastern portion of the Northwest Territories, Nunavut encompasses the traditional lands of the indigenous peoples of Arctic Canada. In the Inuit language, its name means "Our Land." In January, temperatures can drop as low as -35 degrees Celsius. Rain is a rare occurrence in Nunavut and falls almost entirely as snow. The largest source of jobs in Nunavut comes from the service sector, particularly government services such as administration, health care, education, and welfare.

A cool, sunny day about 20 km from Alert, a community in the Qikiqtaaluk Region of Nunavut, was very quickly ruined by one of the worst blizzards its people had ever experienced. A figure in a black coat with pink flame decals was surrounded by cold as the harsh winds blew snow all across the already vast expanse of white around him. The temperature was bordering on 50 degrees as the windswept snow started to obscure their vision. The flat, unrecognizable terrain only made it worse as the figure had lost his way while trying to navigate through the snowstorm. However, through the whiteness of the rushing wind and flakes could be seen a faint orange glow.

The source was a cabin in the distance, the light coming from outside shined bright like a beacon, beckoning them to safety. As one got closer, the faint shape of a truck could be made out in front of the cabin, only it was almost entirely covered in snow. Clanging could be heard from the inside as the figure got closer, the sound of metal being banged together as a voice spoke to itself incoherently.
Haz.​

 

[Haz.]

Pinkerton pulled its coat tighter, exhaling into its cupped hands to prolong its fleeting seconds; its inability to regulate its own body temperature meant hypothermia was an even greater threat, and the lack of anything in this snowy wasteland meant there was nothing for it to convert into body heat using its Stand ability. Attempting to brave the blizzard was quickly becoming an even more futile pursuit in the agent's eyes. It was moments away from surrendering to the cold when a faint orange glow caught its attention. Light meant heat, and heat meant sanctuary.
The inhuman hybrid grimaced. In a last-ditch effort to survive, it stuffed its hands into the pockets of its jacket and broke into a sprint of desperation towards the source of the light, which it quickly made out to be a cabin. When it reached its destination, however, something diverted its attention. A voice. Incoherent mumbling, rather, though it was loud enough to be faintly heard from outside. It stepped onto the porch, pulled back its hood, and cupped one hand around its right ear in an attempt to make out what was being spoken.

GinkyGotBack

 

[GinkyGotBack]

Pinkerton's Precision Roll: Definite Success!!
(A Definite result is simply failing or succeeding at the Action. Very little happens that wasn't a direct consequence of the Action.)

As Pinkerton put his ear to the door, he could clearly make out what the person inside was saying.
The first thing he heard was a sigh, as whoever was inside started complaining.
"If there's one thing I hate about cooking it's doing the dishes afterward... I thought I was here to relax..."
The distinct clanging of dishes, glasses, pots, and pans could be heard along with the rushing water of a sink.

 

[Haz.]

Pinkerton paused, then shrugged.
I'm being too paranoid.
It approached the door, raised its fist and knocked on the hard wood a good three times. Hopefully, its bizarre appearance would just pass for shoddily-applied makeup and greasy hair.

GinkyGotBack

 

[GinkyGotBack]

A smashing sound could be heard from inside as Pinkerton knocked on the door, followed by an irritated groan and a curse that was spoken too quietly to be heard.
Faint footsteps grew closer and closer to the door until it opened slightly only to be immediately shut again.
"God damn it..."
The door opened slowly once more, the man pushing it straining to keep it open as the harsh winter winds tried to force it shut.
The man wore glasses with thick, light brown, translucent frames and an orange turtleneck sweater that went down past his knees like a dress.
The man grit his teeth together as he pushed his one arm against the door to keep it open.
"Let me guess, you're looking to get out of this blizzard, right?"
The man stepped aside and almost let the door blow shut by accident, this time pushing his back against the door to let the stranger in.
"Come on in, you'll freeze to death out there."

 

[Haz.]

"Thank you." Pinkerton nodded gratefully, stepping inside at the man's behest.
"I apologize for the disturbance. I didn't expect it to get quite this cold." The agent was slightly uneasy, but shed aside any underlying prejudices or suspicions and calmly entered.

 

[GinkyGotBack]

The man allowed the door to slam shut as the stranger walked into the cabin.
"Ah, don't worry about it. If you had stayed out there there's no telling what might have happened."
Pinkerton had stepped into what appeared to be a household kitchen, somewhat old looking like none of the furniture or appliances had ever been changed.
In the middle of the kitchen was a cast iron wood stove oven with a steady flame already going.
"You can warm yourself by the stove if you want. This kitchen is likely the warmest place in the house."

On the floor, there were porcelain shards scattered from a plate that had been dropped.
Pinkerton would have also noticed that the man's right hand had a fresh cut that was seeping with blood.
"I'm gonna go find something to wrap this wound up with. Feel free to make yourself at home for now. You can stay here until the storm blows over if you want."
The man walked to the far end of the kitchen and disappeared into a door on the left side.

Also at the end of the kitchen, right next to the mentioned door was an arch leading into a small living room.
The man shouted from inside the room he had gone into, still looking to chat while simultaneously looking for bandages.
"But yeah, I wasn't expecting it either. I know snowstorms in Toronto or little towns like Midland were bad, but this is really bad! My phone says it's almost 50 friggin' degrees outside!"

 

[Haz.]

"It is rather strange. I've never seen anything like it." Pinkerton shouted back to the man in the other room, approaching the stove.
Now that he mentioned it, it is far colder than normal. Why was I sent out here if they knew it was freezing? Rather counter-intuitive to deploy an agent who can't regulate their own body temperature into a blizzard... The hybrid sighed, carefully reaching into the oven to absorb some of the heat for itself, before quickly pulling away to avoid raising suspicion.

 

[GinkyGotBack]

The man returned to the kitchen with a freshly bandaged hand.
"Ah well, I figure that's just Nunavut. You know, I heard the temperature around here can drop as low as 35 degrees. And that's without a blizzard popping up out of nowhere."
The man took a broom and a dustpan from the corner of the kitchen and went about sweeping the plate shards into the pan.
"I hope my boss won't miss one plate..."
Dumping the shards into the trash, the man put away the broom and dustpan and stood motionless for a while, looking at the ground.
. . .
"You know, I've completely forgotten what I was going to do next."
Tapping his fingers against his right temple, the man sighed as he tried to think back on what it was he had forgotten.
As he sighed, his breath formed into a cloud that very quickly dispersed into the air.
The man took notice of this and instinctively started rubbing his arms with his hands.
"Is it still that cold in here? I can't even feel it..."
The man made his way towards the stove and crouched down next to Pinkerton to warm his hands by the fire.
As he did so, the man finally took the time to get a good look at his guest's face.
Something seemed off about it though...

 

[GinkyGotBack]

The Man's Precision Roll: Definite Failure!!

Pinkerton squinted his eyes as he studied Pinkerton's face, but the only thing he could find wrong with it was some dark spots around his cheeks, neck, and chin.
"Are you wearing makeup?"

 

[Haz.]

Pinkerton paused, then turned to see the man staring directly at them. Fortunately, he seemed to be completely goddamn blind, as he didn't see anything wrong with its salmon pink fleshtone, its rigid, polygonal hair, or the big blue circles in its eyes.
"E-Err, yes, actually. Unfortunately, it's a bit poorly applied because I was in a rush and my coat seemed to have smudged it. It's dried now, fortunately." The agent let out a nervous chuckle, rubbing the back of their neck as they did so.
Calm down, just keep your coat on, just keep your coat on...

 

[GinkyGotBack]

The man blinked as Pinkerton gave his explanation.
"Pardon my saying, but I've never seen a lady wear that much makeup before."
Beads of sweat started to form on the man's brow as the heat from the stove was finally starting to get to him.
"Well, maybe you ought to keep a bit further away from the fire. Otherwise, your makeup will start to run."
The man stood up and held out his hand for a handshake.
"I'm Jean-Philippe, but you can just call me J.P. if you want. It's nice to have some company here, to be honest, I was starting to get a little bored with staying here."

 

[Haz.]

Pinkerton merely shrugged.
"It is rather excessive. I do face-painting for a living, mainly at children's birthday parties, so I practice various techniques on myself."
The agent firmly shook Jean's hand--a bit too firmly, almost--as they introduced themselves. They merely responded with"Rivers.", the pseudonym they were instructed to use by the Speedwagon Foundation; 'Pinkerton' didn't exactly make for a good first name.

 

[GinkyGotBack]

"River, huh? That's a nice name. You don't hear of many people with a name like that."
J.P. winced a bit at how firm Pinkerton's handshake was, but he'd suffered worse before. His boss' grip was as tight as a vice.
After the pain was over, J.P. clapped his hands together as a smile formed on his face.
"Well, you must be hungry after walking through that hell outside. How about I make you some soup? I just finished with the dishes but there's still some bowls in the counter I haven't used yet."

 

[Haz.]

"Oh, that would be delightful." 'Rivers' returned the smile with one of their own, sitting down at the kitchen table.
Still, something felt off. This J.P. was a nice man, but Pinkerton had a nagging feeling in the back of their mind that made them uneasy.
But... no, it was probably just paranoia. Living a sheltered life as a glorified lab rat turned anti-worker strike agent wasn't good for their mental stability, clearly.

 

[GinkyGotBack]

With a nod, J.P. got to work on filling a pot with water.
Watching J.P. at work, it really seemed like he had no idea what he was doing.
First, he had filled the pot with far too much water, almost filling it to the brim.
As he sat the pot down on the stove to let the water boil, he set out to find a bowl, rummaging through all the hanging counters until he found one.
When he had found one, he sat it down on the counter for later and turned around to face Rivers.
"So, what brings you all the way out here, Ms. Rivers? Don't tell me you flew all the way to Nunavut for a kid's birthday party!"
J.P. chuckled a bit at his joke, although it sounded more like he was sucking in air through his teeth.

 

[Haz.]

Pinkerton stifled a giggle as J.P. fumbled with the pot. Definitely just paranoid.
"Vacation. I wanted to be alone somewhere." They twiddled their thumbs as they spoke, glancing out the window. The blizzard definitely wasn't subsiding anytime soon.

 

[GinkyGotBack]

"Ah, same here. I collapsed from exhaustion at work one day and my boss offered me some time off at his cabin. It was really nice him, and up until now I thought he hated me!"
J.P. once again started chuckling at his own remark, the hissing sound it made was akin to that of a snake.
J.P. noticed Pinkerton's gaze move to the window and the storm outside.
"I checked the weather on my phone earlier. Apparently, the blizzard's supposed to last for just a day. Kind of hard to believe though when you look at how wild it is out there."
J.P. stood there staring out the window as the flurry of snow blew on outside. He seemed lost in thought for a moment before he spoke up.
"Have you noticed how the days seem to get shorter as you get older? For me, a day goes by so quickly that I can barely remember what happened yesterday."
J.P. started twirling his hair around his index finger as he stared out the window, completely unaware that the pot on the stove had started to boil.
"I read a study that as you get older, each year seems to take up a smaller percentage of your life. When you're ten years old, a year is supposed to be like 10% of your life, whereas when you're fifty, a year is only 2% of your life."
J.P. squinted as he seemed to be thinking even harder about something, even going so far as to bite his lip as he tried to put his thoughts together.
"I'm almost thirty now... Just how low a percentage is a year for me?"
J.P. was apparently so lost in thought that he failed to notice that the water had begun to boil over in the pot, splashing onto the floor and droplets of water sizzling on the hot stovetop.

 

[Haz.]

Pinkerton seemed completely disinterested as J.P. went on, staring blankly out the window. But, when the hissing of the boiler became too loud and the trickling of water was audible even to them, they snapped back to reality.
"6%. If you're thirty years old, it feels like it only takes up 6% of your life. More importantly..." They rose from their seat, flicking the boiler off.
"Sorry. I didn't notice it either. Do you have any towels or tissues?"

 

[GinkyGotBack]

"Ah, 6%. That makes sense. If 50 is 2% and 10 is 10%, then 30 would meet it right in the middle at 6%, huh?"
J.P. blinked as Pinkerton apologized to him and asked him for a towel.
"What for? Did you spill something?"
J.P. stared at Pinkerton quizzically as she turned off the stove top.
"Why'd you do that? The water wasn't even done boiling yet..."
Just as J.P. had said that he looked down and noticed he there was hot water pooled around and all over his feet.

"Ah! What the hell! When did that happen?"
J.P. sat down at one of the chairs at the table and quickly started pulling his socks off.
"Jesus, that burns! How the hell didn't I notice what was going on?"
Flinging his socks to the floor, he started rubbing them with his bare hands, blowing on them in a vain attempt to cool them off.
"Damn it, that freakin' hurts! There are some towels in the bathroom, it's the same room where I got the bandages for my hand!"

 

[Haz.]

"Hold on, I'll get you something to cool off with." Pinkerton turned on the tap to run at its coldest, rummaged through the cupboards in the kitchen for a bowl and filled it with freezing water, then placed it on the ground for Jean to tend to his burns with. Only then did they rush out of the kitchen to find the bathroom and, by extension, towels.

 

[GinkyGotBack]

As Pinkerton went searching through the cupboards for a bowl, among the dishes and bowls she would find that inside there was foot soaking tub filled with cooling water already in there. There were even some towels that had been neatly folded and conveniently set right next to it.

 

[Haz.]

Wow, that's convenient. So convenient, it might as well be the work of an『enemy Stand』.

Pinkerton blinked twice at the sight of the tub, and the towels. A cooling tub? And it's already filled with cooling water; it couldn't have been put out longer than a few minutes ago... And he never mentioned leaving any towels here, either. Why did he want me to go to the bathroom to grab some from there if he already had this stuff here?
The hybrid was struck with a sense of sudden unease. Something wasn't right. Alarms were going off in their head left and right, and though they futilely tried to numb any suspicions, they couldn't.
Maybe he's just the kind of person who would forget putting a cooling tub in his kitchen cupboard? I mean, he forgot about the boiling water, didn't he?
"Why are there towels and a foot basin in your kitchen cupboard?" They finally asked, carefully reaching into the cupboard as they spoke to pick them up.

 

[GinkyGotBack]

J.P. blinked as Pinkerton asked him a very strange question, forgetting all about the pain in his feet as he tried to process what she had just asked.
"What are you talking about? A foot basin in the cupboard? Is that supposed to be a joke?"
The burning feeling quickly snapped him out of his confusion as he went back to rubbing and blowing air on his feet.
"I thought you said you were going to find something to cool my feet with? Can you please hurry? This seriously hurts!"

 

[Haz.]

"I'm not joking, it's right here! It's still cold, too! Did you put this out and just forget?" Beads of sweat began trickling down Pinkerton's forehead.
What the hell's going on..!?
They pulled out the tub and towels--which felt completely real--, and turned to present them to J.P.
"See?" Quickly, Pinkerton dumped the towels onto the wet floor, patting them down to soak up the boiling water before placing the tub on the ground in front of the man.