Part 64: Episode LXI: Billy Lee Black Shares Far Too Much Information

Episode LXI: Billy Lee Black Shares Far Too Much Information

Music: Leftover Dreams of the Strong


Following the Bishop Stone introduction scene, we’re immediately dumped back at the Yggdrasil and tasked with finding Sigurd since apparently only he can tell the crew on the bridge to return us to the World Map. Funny, I’m pretty sure Bart can do that too...

The party wanders over to the Gun Room...


"Well, yes..."
"After you left, Billy cried a lot."
"...I'm sorry."
”Feh. Don’t sweat it. Runt cried back then if you looked at him funny.”
"When you left Solaris, the same thing happened. Kahr was quite upset then."
"I didn't mean to betray him..."
"His misanthropy has gotten even worse because of that.”
”How is Kahr these days? Still got that colossal stick rammed up his ass?”
“More or less.”
“Now, enough about old times, old friend. I did not expect to find you loitering in this land..."

Citan notices the party and motions them to come over...


“It's all cause my son doesn't let me drink! This is a great bar you've got here...old codger!"
"Why... errh, thank you, my good man."
*laughs* "This old codger, has good character...like his booze! I like him!! Ha, ha, ha!"
*hic* “Geez...what did you put in this stuff? I’m seeing three green skinned gingers hanging around.”
“I very much exist, but there is only one of me.”
*takes a shot* “And thank fuck for that!”


“I'm sorry, old friend, but I have a job I must do..."
"Oh god, is it that time already? Well then, before we go let's do the usual... You know... the 'paint the face on your stomach and dance around trick'...? The three of us together!"
"!! Well, actually, we are in a hurry so, errh... We will talk about that some other time..."
"Oh? Is that right? Well then, I oughta get outta here too, huh!"
"There is something I want to ask you too... So let us get together when we have more time...!"
*pulls shotgun and strikes a pose for no reason* "Yeah. I hope I live to have the opportunity..."
"..."


"AAAAAAHHHHH!! Sigurd is...!"
"Again!? Sigurd gets drunk so easily...! Well that blows it! We cannot leave today, perhaps tomorrow..."
”Uhh...you guys know I’m perfectly able to pilot this ship, right? In or out of a Gear, even....”

Later that night...


Jessie stumbles back to the orphanage drunk off his ass. Why do I get the feeling this scene can be summed up in “No, fuck YOU dad!” before it even begins.

Billy enters from the back room...


"If you'd come you'd have heard a ton of good stories. Sigurd's stories were hilarious."
"You know Siggy doesn't drink and you made him? Even though you're a holy man's father..."
”Tch. On second thought, maybe it’s best you didn’t come along.”
"Hey hey, why don't you open up your eyes. You need to quit bein' a priest."
”Ethos...more err...well I’m too trashed to think of anything that sounds like Ethos but means colossal pussies. So I’ll just call ‘em colossal pussies.”
"I don't want to hear that from someone without a shred of faith. Stay out of my life."


“Do you have any idea how much trouble your little butt is in?"
"What? How would you know? I still don't believe you're even my father. You're not the person mother loved."
"Whaddya mean... You think I'm a fake?"
"Ask yourself."
”Alright. Hey Jessie.”
“Yup?”
“Are you Jessie?”
“Sure am!”
“Did you get busy with this boy’s mom?”
“In every damn room of this house!”
“Attaboy! Welp, I guess that’s all cleared up!”
“...”


"Fine, you still don't understand the truth. What those guys really are, where you are going..."
"Father, what are you saying...?"
"I'm saying Racquel died in vain."
“!! You have no right to say mother's name!"
"...I see. That's the way it is. Fine. Anyhow, quit your job. Consider it a piece of advice from a man who is but a stranger to you."


And with that, Jessie stumbles off in the night muttering to himself about how that boy ain’t right.

The next morning...


Despite both Bart and Rico having their own rooms (well okay Rico shares a closet below the bar with Hammer. Remember Hammer?) everyone apparently slept in the gross crew quarters. Hey, I wonder if Fei is awake yet.


Nope... Although that Ethos doctor said he should wake up soon, Fei remains out of commission for like three more somewhat lengthy chapters of the game.

The party wanders back to the Gun Room...


“They said you were still sleeping, so I went ahead and came in."
"You're dressed lightly. Is that enough?"
“I am wearing more clothing than most of your active party combined...”
“I don’t think they make shirts in my big friend here’s size. And Elly refuses to change out of her Gebler uniform because she’s just kind of an idiot.”
“It is a comfortable uniform, alright?”
"We Etones have some rather unique equipment. Let me explain about the equipment since we're going to be working together."


Billy proceeds to give a lengthy tutorial about all the heat he’s packing. This includes a handgun, a “big gun” and a magic ether gun. The latter two are custom made and cannot be replaced, but we can swap out his handguns. Handguns and Big Guns also both require bullets as guns are not magic infinite ammo devices in this RPG. Except for the magic shooting gun, of course. In any case, I’ll explain it in more depth when we get to a real battle with Billy.


"...This is a fine gun indeed. I'm sure it has a significant history."
"Of course! It's the famous rifle 'Machiganater', handed down in the Fatima family."
"What a waste... It's too good for you who just brandishes a whip..."
*jumps* "Hey! Why are you getting sharp with me!?"
”Unless you want a Belmont special and to be dumped overboard in the middle of sea, I’d quit being such a dick, kid.”
"Oh, sorry... It's just... I didn't think you would have an interest in guns."
”I just said it was a family heirloom... I guess they don’t teach common sense in church school.”
*sigh* <Fei really needs to wake up soon.>
"Well anyway... Billy... I'd like to know why you became an Etone..."
(I'm not interested...)
"...Hmm, I see... Etones help out strangers, so I suppose that would make you curious..."
*shakes head* "No, I don't mean that. I'm curious about your own intentions, personally. I don't know... I just didn't expect you to be an Etone at all..."
"I see... Well, since our job is rather unusual, I'll tell you about that too as I explain..."

Flashback time!

Music: Tears of the Stars, Hearts of the People


“About then, dad taught me how to use a gun.”
”Umm, I didn’t mean...”


“One day Dad disappeared.”

Jessie walks out the door. Crossfade to young(er) Primera and Billy running around...


“He just ran out on us. He never came back.”


“Dad's gun, Dad's smell. Those things were all I had left to remind me of him. But that happiness didn't last long...”

Suddenly zombies attack Billy’s mom...


“They were looking for Dad but Mom wouldn't talk. I can still hear it... The sound of the bullets slowly firing three times... I even remember the sound of the empty shells hitting the floor. After that, the Reapers screamed and I heard someone fall.”

Bishop Stone walks in and busts a cap in all three zombies’ asses...


“Meeting him changed my life from then on.”
"Hey, hey, wait a sec. Do Reapers talk?"
"Yes. They're not just monsters. Some of them are more intelligent than humans."


So Primera isn’t actually a mute. She’s just a creepy little girl that doesn’t talk due to seeing her mom get killed by zombies. Good to know.


“I wanted to help save someone in need like he saved us. I didn't want there to be any more children like Primera... So I began training at the 'Ethos' to become just like Bishop Stone. I left Prim in the care of the 'Ethos' and entered the monastery.”


“I finished training at the monastery and became an Etone. I returned home to open the orphanage...”
”Say, you Etone guys fight these Reaper monster zombie things, right?”
“Indeed we do.”
“Which means there’s a pretty good chance you could get killed doing this, right?”
“It is dangerous work.”
“So a kid that has a pretty good chance of getting killed and leaving behind everyone opened a place for kids that had their parents killed? Kind of a dick move to potentially make little kids double dip on the dead guardians thing...“
“...”
“Moving on...”


“But he was different. Some terrible accident changed him. Not only his looks, but his character and manner had entirely changed too. I remembered him as a quiet man... But...more than that, I thought maybe I didn't really remember him... That's why... I can never think of him as a father... But Prim needed a father, and she'd become attached to him. Deep in my heart, I too thought I wanted a father. But...even now I just can't believe he is my real father.”
”It could be worse, kid.”
“How so?”
“Oh, I don’t know. Your dad could have gotten executed following a military coup. Your mom too. And the zombies could have locked you in a dungeon and whipped the shit out of you for giggles.”
“...”

Back in the present...


“I almost went so far as to sell my body to support Prim, since we only had each other for so long... Despite that, Prim still prefers the father that she never knew... The one who suddenly appeared out of nowhere..."
"'Almost sold your body'!?”
*sigh* “This is the last time I EVER ask anyone about their past...”
“Don't you know, kid...!? There're things you can get back once sold, and there are things you just can't! Couldn't you see that!?"
"Of course I refrained. But they said they'd give me 3000G for one night..."
”Who is ‘they’?! You live on some island in the middle of nowhere!”
"You fool! Listen... Next time you and your sister need help, come to my ship. We're self-sufficient, so at least you don't need to worry about food and a place to sleep! Now, don't you ever say 'sell your body' in front of me ever again...! You understand!?"
”This ship is a no man-whore zone! You got that?”
"Could this be...? Maybe you are a 'nice guy' after all...?"
"Why don't you just come out and say 'thank you'? Geez!"
"Uh... errh... well... you haven't taken care of us yet, so I won't say it!"


I think people named Billy are just inherently kind of assholes.


Oh well, on to the zombie outbreak on the high seas.










Billy Lee Black Artwork – Nice boots.