003

[ectopportunism]

[Action- Greased Lightning Garage ]

[Pete's at work, impatient ever since receiving his proton pack. He can't wait to take it over to Ray's so that he, Ray, and Egon can start discussing business. He figures if he makes one hard sell today on a used car, he can cut loose a little early. Maybe you're a coworker who's noticed him looking at the clock one too many times, or maybe you're looking to buy a car today...]

[Action- Around Town ]

[After work, Venkman picks up his proton pack from home and is heading for Ray's when he begins to wonder if the thing even works. He flips it on, pulls the wand out from its holster, and aims for a nearby tree. A bright beam is shot out, scorching the side of the tree and peppering the thing with small flames.]

...It's still in one piece? I'm good.


[Action- Ray's House/1127 Taylor Road ]

[He's knocking on the door rapidly.]

Let me in, Ray... before I'm arrested for arson!

Comments

[sosghosts.livejournal.com]

You actually care about that stuff?

[He grins, then swipes the can from Ray's hand and snaps it open.]

[pkeccentric.livejournal.com]

Why wouldn't I? Our stuff isn't for playing with. Besides them getting hurt, they'll make it really inconvenient for us to get work done around here.

You say that like it's surprising. Is it really?

[sosghosts.livejournal.com]

[He downs a good bit of beer... finally starting to get a bit of a buzz going.]

I didn't think you actually gave a shit about working on cars.

[pkeccentric.livejournal.com]

[THIS IS A PG MOVIE I mean -]

It's a nice way to kill time... Not as if we don't have an abundance of that already.

[sosghosts.livejournal.com]

[He shrugs, drinks, and gets quiet for a moment.]

Gotta question for you, Stantz.

[pkeccentric.livejournal.com]

[he's already lighting up another cig.]

And what would that be, Dr. Venkman?

[sosghosts.livejournal.com]

[MORE BOOZE PLS]

...You would inform me if you were upset about something, right?

[pkeccentric.livejournal.com]

[...what.]

What kind of question is that? [not like it has actual basis or anything. that's just silly talk.] Of course I would. Haven't I always done so before?

[sosghosts.livejournal.com]

Just... wondering...

[Sips his beer in order to shut himself up.]

[pkeccentric.livejournal.com]

Peter.

[how can you stand that disapproving tone oh that's right YOU CAN'T]

[sosghosts.livejournal.com]

MmHmm?

[He can't, which is why he's not taking the beer from his lips.]

[pkeccentric.livejournal.com]

[Ray notices, purses his lips in not-so thinly veiled frustration, and gently pulls the bottle away from his mouth.]

Talk to me.

[sosghosts.livejournal.com]

[He sighs, bringing a hand to his face. Where to begin.]

It's nothing. It's stupid. It's something your stupid clone said to me.

[pkeccentric.livejournal.com]

[he sighs.] It's funny - the things you find stupid are almost always the kind of things I find important.

[what does that say about me? probably something negative, but he doesn't really need self-depreciation right now. what kind of state would he be in to set things right if he was too busy loathing himself to think straight, let alone be optimistic that things would turn out alright?

everything turns out fine in the end. everything works out for the better. if he can't believe that, they won't either.]

What did he say?

[sosghosts.livejournal.com]

Do you think I-- [He stops himself. How the hell do you word this anyway?]

You said... he said... that essentially I treat you like crap in some attempt to feel better about myself because I think you're too dumb to realize it or do anything about it.

[pkeccentric.livejournal.com]

[it takes him a while to sort out his thoughts and put them into a coherent reply, but even longer to make sense of why Peter would even entertain the vague possibility that it's true.]

Did you believe him? [it's a casual enough tone of voice. they might as well be talking about baseball right now.]

[sosghosts.livejournal.com]

He went on to call me a loser and say that the only reason he sticks by me is to watch me screw up.

[And with that, another gulp of beer.]

[pkeccentric.livejournal.com]

[no differentiation between "him" and "you" anymore, huh? Ray sees how it is. he's quiet for a minute, absently staring over his shoulder in the direction of the TV before speaking.]

...Heh.

[- or rather, uttering the tiniest, softest, saddest little chuckle you've ever heard. it's barely a peep, but audible considering how close the two of them are sitting together. he repeats it again, then again, and before you know it he's laughing, long and hard.]

[sosghosts.livejournal.com]

Uh.... Ray?

[pkeccentric.livejournal.com]

[he even begins to gasp a little; he's laughing that hard.]

Oh man, that's just - WOW.

[give him a few minutes so he can sort himself out. it's a real gutbuster, this joke. funniest thing he's heard in weeks.]

...Come on, man. What did he really say? Don't tell me you actually believed any of that - excuse me - that awful shit. That's just so... God! [he giggles.] How could anything pretend to be me by saying something so stupid?!

[sosghosts.livejournal.com]

Yeah. You're right. Forget I said anything.

[Completely deadpan, of course. As he downs the rest of his beer.]

[pkeccentric.livejournal.com]

It's ridiculous. [there's nothing mean spirited about his smile or his tone, which is back to that neutral level now that he's gotten himself sorted out.] In any other situation, I'd say you are too for even considering that such tripe can even be a possibility.

[looks like he's gonna need booze for this after all. he grabs the last can on the table and cracks it open.]

But I do think it raises a legitimate point. Why do you figure I stick around you, Pete? [he takes a gulp of beer, then:] 'cause now I'm interested to see if your perception is that far off if you really believe what that thing said.

[sosghosts.livejournal.com]

I never said I believed it. I kicked the shit out of him, anyway.

[He motions toward that pack of cigarettes in your pocket, sir. Yes this requires another one.]

I don't know, Ray. Don't ask me those kinds of questions.

[pkeccentric.livejournal.com]

I think it's good to ask them every once in a while. [he tosses the pack at him, but holds off from handing him his lighter.] For reasons just like these.

[even without the presence of a psychotic double to complicate things, he likes to think that this question would have been brought up sooner or later. there are a lot of things unspoken between him and Venkman, but not the most important things.

sometimes Ray isn't the one who needs a good slap upside the head to stay grounded.]

...I've stuck around because it feels right. I guess I could go in-depth with a comparison to magnetism and opposite polarity, but sometimes less words work best. Er... If that even made sense.

[it really didn't, but then again, look where they are right now. this wouldn't have even been an issue if Halloween hadn't been so nonsensical. still, he continues:]

I didn't think much of you when I first met you. It was just "oh, there's another jock who's looking to cruise through on an easy degree". In that respect, I don't think we could be anymore different. But that's a good thing. It always is. You never had a reason to lie to me or stroke my ego. People have been picking me apart my entire life, but you're the first person I met who liked me for who I was, not for what I could do to benefit them. [he frowns, brow creasing, then shakes his head.] Sure, you picked up on that later, but I didn't care by then. Actually, I kind of wanted it because...

[he sighs again, finally resigning and passing the other man his lighter.]

...Because I wanted to be useful to you. To make you and Egon happy.

[sosghosts.livejournal.com]

[Accepting the cigarettes and listening to what he has to say makes him immediately relax. Not that he was extremely tense to begin with, but any weird, nagging worry that might have been poking at the back of his brain completely disintegrated. He tapped at the pack of cigarettes and then pulled one out for himself, sticking it in his mouth.]

Don't get sentimental on me, Ray...

[But it's too late. Ray's passed him the lighter and he feels the cigarette drop from his mouth a bit. He hesitates before lighting it up.]

You're gonna make me say it... aren't you?