Posted by: Jochy Melechen Jul 8 2008, 09:59 PM
Jochy was pacing near the stern of the boat, back and forth. Limp, limp, pace, pace, but he didn't really manage to decide what to do regardless.

It would be simples to get back with Elaine and Nialla if he went with Knocks.

But that would mean asking for it. Possibly begging.

And honestly, Knocks scared him.



Posted by: Serendipity Jul 8 2008, 10:14 PM
Ariel was only mouthing her mantra to herself now, and not saying it out loud, so when she approached Jochy, she had been quiet to a point.

"Hey!" she said cheerfully, giving the young man a wave.

Posted by: Pedro del Bruno Jul 8 2008, 10:18 PM
And immediately behind her came a much larger, lumbering figure, dressed from his pale dust-coloured shirt to his heavy knee-boots in shades of brown, as if he were a paler shadow stretching out behind the girl in black. His very presence was sobering and protective, and indeed, he looked very much capable of hurling off anyone who might come near the young woman. But above his beard, his dark eyes twinkled. "Go to it," he told the girl in black. "I'll stand by. I haven't had a chance to poke around this ship yet."

Posted by: Jochy Melechen Jul 8 2008, 10:22 PM
"Oh... you..." Jochy had just spoken the words with a vague distaste when the other man popped up.

"What the hell... is thos a bloody convention?" He had taken a step back, crossing his arms over his chest. "What do you want help with this time then?"

He was not looking at the girl, he was looking at the man, but from the look of it he didn't fancy his chances there.

So he held his peace.

Posted by: Serendipity Jul 8 2008, 10:25 PM
"This ship?" Ariel asked. "Is pretty all right. I've met most of them, but not really gotten a chance to know them. Jochy, this is my friend Pedro. Pedro, this is Jochy. He's the one with the parasite in his brain!"

Posted by: Pedro del Bruno Jul 8 2008, 10:30 PM
"We have yet to establish if that's a brain problem or a mind problem," the man said sternly. "And let's not even go into it, Indigo and I just had it and I'm a bit worn out defending myself." With a broad, easy grin, he held out his hand to Jochy to shake. "Good to meet you, young man. It's not a convention; we're just trying to keep an eye on the lass, here."

Posted by: Jochy Melechen Jul 8 2008, 10:34 PM
Jochy hesitated for a moment, then reluctantly reached out and shook the man's hand.

"Well, I am pleased to meet you too then. I'm Jochy, but I suspect you know that already. If yer know about my mind problem..." He shot a glance at the girl, then pulled back his hand to cross his arms over his chest again.

Defensive? Yes. Definetly.

He had no cause to distrust these creatures really, excepf for the fact that he was paranoind and hated being manipulate. HATED it with a vengance.

Really.

"So, she needs looking after now? Someone's going after her or what?"

Posted by: Serendipity Jul 8 2008, 10:39 PM
Ariel shrugged. "No! I'm a temporary replacement, and I think they're worried I'll mess up the continuity. But someone still has to do the psychopomping while the permanent psychopomp is on vacation, so that's me."

She glanced at Pedro for assurance. "I'll want to know more about that later," she informed him cheerfully. "So," she said, turning back to Jochy. "How are you doing?"

Posted by: Pedro del Bruno Jul 8 2008, 10:42 PM
"You're already messing up the continuity, m'dear," he replied over his shoulder with good humour. He had already wandered away to run his hand around a join in one of the masts. "Lorenzo's probably shat a granite brick. Might as well enjoy it."

Posted by: Jochy Melechen Jul 8 2008, 10:48 PM
Jochy sighed, running a hand through his hair as he slowly uneuffled. "Lovely. Bloody lovely. How I am? Oh well..." He might as well be honest here, though he longed to just bristle suspiciously and tell her to go fuck herself.

"Hoping like hell that Knocks is gonna agree with me joining them for the Erins. Or I'll have to find some other way..." He flashed the girl a grin, eyes amused for a moment "Don't mind doing more favours if I have to. I ain't sitting that war out on the sidelines."

Too many people he loved there.

Posted by: Serendipity Jul 8 2008, 11:05 PM
"Well, I don't think there's anyone you need to bring back from the dead this time," Ariel assured him. "The people who need to do that are taking care of it on their own." She flashed him a grin. "I think Knocks'll take you. He sounded like he would. The question is more what Judith will do when you get there. I think she already expects you to come. You think you can handle it?"

She looked back at Pedro. "How come?" she asked. "I didn't...I thought I was very helpful!"

Posted by: Pedro del Bruno Jul 8 2008, 11:10 PM
"Not you, love. Nature of the continuity and blah-blah-blah, I don't know, I tune out when that sort of thing comes up at meetings." He gave her a grin that said he didn't tune out quite as much as he might have done. He gave the mast a friendly, all-clear pat, then turned back to join the two of them.

Posted by: Jochy Melechen Jul 8 2008, 11:14 PM
"I dunno honestly. I suppose so." Jochy shrugged and scratched his neck. "She could have killed me since I returned her name to yer, and I'm alive yet, ain't I? Not that I wanna push my luck but... she'd be stupid not to accept any help she can get. With what's gonna go down there, she's gonna need it."

He resisted the urge to bite his nail, watching the man suspiciously.

"Though I dunno if she knows that I ws the one that got Knocks shot..."

Posted by: Serendipity Jul 8 2008, 11:18 PM
"Look," Ariel said. "If she doesn't, it's Judith. She'll probably assume it was you," she pointed out. "She likes blaming things on you. Are you worried?" she asked. "I mean, going there without any magic and all? And having to deal with all those people you have the hots for all in one place?"

She looked back at Pedro. "So are you people having meetings without me? Shouldn't I be coming to those?" she asked. "I don't see how they can complain about me, but think it's okay to hire Mister-Tied-To-My-Mortal-Obligations."

She nodded to Jochy. "You dad, I mean."

Posted by: Pedro del Bruno Jul 8 2008, 11:24 PM
"We had meetings way before you," he assured the girl. "You're not missing a thing. Mostly we sit around and drink coffee and listen to Seraphima complain about the things that made the Beatles break up. Ever so often we discuss your dad," he said to Jochy in reassurance. "Me personally? I"m take-him-or-leave-him."









Posted by: Jochy Melechen Jul 8 2008, 11:30 PM
"I know Judes likes to balme things on me, but that's alright. I don't mind." he didn't. Many times she were right, the rest of the time he just didn't give a crap.

"But yeah, I am worried. I don't want her to have to worry about dealing with me or something. That's actually my biggest worry there. That I'd just be the cause of something stupid by distracting people." He sighed, shaking his head.

"I'm not worried about being tempted or anything if that's what yer mean. I know who I have picked and... I'm at peace with it. For probably the first time." At least right now there was no doubt in his heart that Elaine was so very right for him.

And of course they had to go and spoil that lovely moment.

"I can't for the life of me understand how the hell you can even consider the bastard after what He's done..." Jochy nearly hissed the words under his breath, glaring at the pair.

"And if you DO talk about Him... what the hell is there to discuss? How much the world needs another bastard with too much power?"

Hate and fear were too mild words to begin to describe his loathing.

Posted by: Serendipity Jul 8 2008, 11:46 PM
"So what do you want to do?" Ariel asked. "You obviously want to go. You're not going to let Judith stop you. I mean, eventually, you two have got to work your things out, don't you? You can't keep doing this all the time."

"Mostly," Ariel answered. "To be honest, he's sort of a pathetic little kid. He wants to have his cake and eat it, too, and you'd think with all his experience of the world, he would know better than that."

She made a face. "And now he's been telling me the Countess can't get pregnant. Like I'mp the one who'd be impregnating her."


Posted by: Pedro del Bruno Jul 8 2008, 11:53 PM
"You're quite right," Pedro said to Jochy. "The world does not need another power-mad bastard. That is not what's under discussion. Would you please put it to bed, Jochy? I hate to be a prick on first meeting, but you're acting like we blundered into this without doing a background check."

Posted by: Jochy Melechen Jul 9 2008, 12:00 AM
Jochy took a deep breath, counted to ten, then replied as calmly as he could... "I am glad to hear that. Would hate to see yer promoting child rapists by mistake. Makes me a lot happier that yer already planned for that."

Let it go. Easy for those bastards to say.

Posted by: Serendipity Jul 9 2008, 12:06 AM
Ariel laughed, a bit, and then looked over at Pedro. "This counts as a sign of stagnation, right?" she asked.

Posted by: Pedro del Bruno Jul 9 2008, 12:07 AM
The big man nodded. "And he was doing so well."

Posted by: Jochy Melechen Jul 9 2008, 12:10 AM
"Oh fuck you and your cryptic ways. What the hell am I supposed to do then? Forgive the bastard? That ain't gonna happen. Stagnation or not, I'm gonna loathe the bastard to my grave."

He crossed his arms angrily, glaring at the pair.

He had said to his death, because he honestly didn't think his father could die. he was too muhc of a monster in his mind to be even repotely human.

Posted by: Serendipity Jul 9 2008, 12:12 AM
"I'm not being cryptic!" Ariel objected. "I'm being perfectly transparent, for once! You're stagnating. Getting hung up on a subject and not letting you. You don't need to forgive him, you need to figure out what you need to keep it from holding you back. What do you need?"

Posted by: Jochy Melechen Jul 9 2008, 12:19 AM
"What do I need? You wanna know that?" Jochy glared at Ariel. "To see the bastard dead. Or for once to see anybody even bloody CARE what He did. Oh, they all care, just don't when they needs His help. I want... hell, I want Him taken down. He's not RIGHT He never was RIGHT." Jochy broke off since he realized he was ranting.


Posted by: Serendipity Jul 9 2008, 12:38 AM
The girl held up both her hands. "Okay, see, that doesn't sound like getting over it to me," she said kindly. "I should have been more specific. What do you need to get over it, not what do you need in general concerning him. Sorry, I'm new to this."

Posted by: Jochy Melechen Jul 9 2008, 12:50 AM
" I AM over it! Jochy insisted loudly.

"I just don't fancy people putting their faith in Him is all."

Posted by: Serendipity Jul 9 2008, 12:56 AM
"Mmm..." Ariel was hesitant. "Usually when people are yelling and insistent, they're not really over it," she observed.

Posted by: Pedro del Bruno Jul 9 2008, 01:00 AM
"Even if you felt the need to spend the rest of your life warning the populus, that would be something," Pedro remarked.

Posted by: Jochy Melechen Jul 9 2008, 01:05 AM
Jochy groaned, surpressing the wish to just stomp away. It was pretty stupid to do that on a ship, where these people could just pop up out of nowhere.

"Alright. I will get over it. But answer me this. Why in the name of everything holy would you have to pick HIM? Of all people?"

Posted by: Serendipity Jul 9 2008, 01:13 AM
Ariel crossed her arms over her chest. "You're still stagnating," she pointed out. "And you didn't answer my question. I didn't tell you to get over it, I asked you what you needed."

She looked to Pedro. "That love triangle wasn't this hard."

Posted by: Pedro del Bruno Jul 9 2008, 01:19 AM
"And this is where I step aside and let you ladies handle it," Pedro replied amiably. "Except when Scarlet starts pestering me about biology. Then it's just a chore."

Posted by: Jochy Melechen Jul 9 2008, 01:27 AM
"I don't know what I need to get over it, alright? You think I have some bloody list of things I need? It's -there- in my bones and by blood, it'll always be there."

Jochy's jaw was set in a stubborn line "I've got what I need. Myself. That's enough, ennit? Thanks to the switch with Elaine I have some memories of what it meant to actually have a father. I ain't gonna break apart. But I ain't gonna stop haring Him for what He did."

Posted by: Serendipity Jul 9 2008, 01:48 AM
"Um, Jochy?" Ariel said hesitantly. "Move on. You...you can't control anything he is or does. You can just control your reaction to it. If you stop letting yourself get so mad about it, you might be able do actually, you know, do things without letting it get to you. Deal with him. You've done really well at controlling yourself. But you can't control him."

Posted by: Jochy Melechen Jul 9 2008, 01:55 AM
"Oh get over yerself." Jochy sounded bitter and dismissive. "What the hell do you care what I care about Him anyway? I am through with letting Him run my life. I can't rid myself of the nightmares, sure, but I ain't about to deal with Him about that. I'm just ignoring Him."

Posted by: Pedro del Bruno Jul 9 2008, 01:59 AM
"Beg to differ," Pedro interjected. "This is not what 'ignoring' looks like. Ignoring would mean you don't give a good goddamn about him. You can't keep it and throw it away at the same time."

He raised an eyebrow to the girl in black. "Am I stepping on your toes here? I can back off."

Posted by: Serendipity Jul 9 2008, 02:08 AM
Ariel grinned. "No, toes are fine."

"Look," she said to Jochy. "I only just got hang of this myself. I have this...friend, okay, and he has never, ever done what I've wanted. And it hurts my feelings. A lot. But I can't make him do what I want. I can ask and tell, but at the end of the day, if all I do is get upset over how he's living his life, that's part of my life that's getting wasted. Right? Pedro is right."

Posted by: Jochy Melechen Jul 9 2008, 02:26 AM
Jochy bit back the urge to say yet another thing that was exactly the same as he had said thus far.

He was upset, he wasn't stupid. He knew that he couldn't ignore his father, even if that was the best solution. The hurt ran too deep, it hadn't healed yet and he didn't knew if it ever would.

He wanted revenge. He wanted to hurt the man.

But at the same time he had come to realize that it was worse than that. A lot worse. Because what he really wanted, what he really needed was something he had begun to realize just recently.

His father back. No, not HIM, but a proper father. Just... it was bloody lonely without a family.

"You should go. You ain't helping. I don't care about yer checking in. You deal with Him all you like, I'm gonna go on hating Him as I like. There ain't nothing that's gonna change that."



Posted by: Pedro del Bruno Jul 9 2008, 05:56 PM
"Actually, there is one thing that can change that." And he gave Jochy a heavy smile, looking the smaller man up and down. "The trouble being that no one can change you but you. As has been pointed out in various forms several times now. You're already working at it. It's no good forcing the mill to grind."

Posted by: Serendipity Jul 9 2008, 06:05 PM
"The question is," Said Ariel kindly," Is there a situation or series of events that mighh facilitate you-changing-you like that?"

Posted by: Jochy Melechen Jul 9 2008, 06:10 PM
"What do you want me to say?" Jochy shrugged, wrapping his arms around himself as he looked at the pair. "You want me to get over the fact that he made my childhood hell? Sure, if yer mean get over it in the way of stopping messing up for myself 'cause I ain't worth shit... then I'm working on it. If yer mean get over it as in forgiving Him, or even hate Him just the tiniest bit less... forget it. The man deserves to be hated, and neither of yer said what you needed Him for anyway. Must be smart people out there that ain't child raping bastards."

Posted by: Pedro del Bruno Jul 9 2008, 06:16 PM
The man heaved a sigh. "For the third time, nobody has even mentioned the word forgiveness. This isn't some touchy-feely crap where you get to burst into tears and throw off your shackles. I'm hardly the one needs be telling you that. It just won't happen. We aren't even talking about him. You're the one keeps bringing him up," he pointed out.

Posted by: Serendipity Jul 9 2008, 06:37 PM
Ariel looked helplessly at Pedro. "Is there a protocol for dealing with people who want to keep stagnating?"she asked cautiously. "Um. Look. I know this man who lost his kid and sort of turned into a drunk? And the thing is, no matter what anyone offered hin, he said it wouldn't bring his kid back. But he didn't get that bringing his kid back wasn't the problem. The problem was him being a drunk. And I don't know if that analogy really works, but I thinkit does."

She looked cautiously at Pedro for approval.

"So. See, what we have to do with him has nothing to do with whatever we have to do with you. They're not connected. It's my job to keep people from getting themselves in a rut, no matter whether it.s a good rut or an evil rut. you're in a rut about him. He's in a rut about something else entirely. They don't matter to each other. The offer my permanent counterpart made him was to keep him from stagnating. Now we're here about you. Two different issues."

Posted by: Jochy Melechen Jul 9 2008, 06:45 PM
Jochy sighed, listening to the pair of them. He would love to bristle more about it, but they were right, weren't they?

he was the one that kept bringing it up again. That couldn't let it go.

Almost a bit ashamed, he looked away, scratching the back of his neck. "I... don't intend to go on stagnating. I... I'll remember what yer said, alright? It makes sense. Even if I don't want it to. I... know it ain't healthy to get this hung up on it, hell, I was ready to kill myself back then." He scratched his wrist self-consciously.

"I ain't gonna do that again. I'm moving on. When my paranoia lets me." He eyed them both sternly at that.



Posted by: Pedro del Bruno Jul 9 2008, 06:47 PM
"The protocol for people who want to go on stagnating is generally to drop them out of the continuity and leave them to meander about in circles until they choose to rejoin it," Pedro replied nicely. "It's generally referred to as 'hell'. That wasn't a threat," he assured Jochy.

Posted by: Serendipity Jul 9 2008, 07:01 PM
"Hm." Ariel looked Jochy over. "I don't thinkhe really wants to keep stagnating," she said thoughtfully. "So let me ask you this, then. Where do you see yourself, ideally? Where would you like to be, not just physically, because I know the answer to that involves being sandwiched between two very attractive young ladies, but emotionally? Spiritually? Mentally? Where do you want to be your place in the world?"

Posted by: Jochy Melechen Jul 9 2008, 07:06 PM
"I..." Jochy struggled for an answer here, he was really trying not to just tell them to go fuck themselves and lay off him. He had promised himself to at least try to do some proper shit, and this was part of it. Don't just react from instinct.

"I ain't sure yet. Right now I just know where I ain't wanna be, and any direction that keeps me away from that seems to be a good one. I am still looking. Not gonna be stupid enough to admit that I know that yet. 'cause I don't. Thought I did once, and look where that got me."

Posted by: Pedro del Bruno Jul 9 2008, 07:14 PM
"I realise this probably seems like pestering you for no damn good reason," Pedro said abruptly. "I have no business in this at all, except that I'm supposed to be watching after her." He pointed a thumb to the girl. "But it seems to me that you appear to be going through a grace period. No immediate decisions necessary."

Posted by: Serendipity Jul 9 2008, 07:19 PM
"Right," Ariel answered. "Grace period. You're most likely going to be at sea for some weeks anyway, so you have transitional time. You need amything else? Complaints to file? Want to pester me to bring you cake?"

Posted by: Jochy Melechen Jul 9 2008, 07:27 PM
"No. The less bloody visits from supernatural critters that pops up, the happier I'll be. I ain't interested in being in the middle of yer games, no matter how well meaning. I wanna get off this crate, go north, and make sure that the people I care about gets through the war alive. If yer can help with that, I'd be grateful. But I suspect yer can't."

He had crossed his arms again, but looked less severe. He had unruffled from the surprise by now after all.



Posted by: Pedro del Bruno Jul 9 2008, 07:29 PM
"See, the thing about that is that you're still considering this a game," the man replied jovially. "The game's not a game when it's your whole life."

Posted by: Serendipity Jul 9 2008, 07:39 PM
"Thank you!" Ariel exclaimed, beaming at Pedro. "It.s not sa game. People think we do this for fun like somebody kicking an anthilln but we don't. We only ever kick the anthill if the ants have all stopped working and there's an anteater on its way and they.d get all sucked up if they don't stop and take notice."

She nodded then, though. "If you're certain there's nothing, though, we'll be going." She looked to Pedro. "Who do we see next?"

Posted by: Jochy Melechen Jul 9 2008, 07:44 PM
"Jochy remained quiet, determined not to point out that yeah, maybe the one way to get through life was to treat it ats a game at times. he suspected they didn't want to listen to that. At all.

"Well, thanks anyway... I'll watch out for the anteater." He shot them a final grin before they were off.

Posted by: Pedro del Bruno Jul 9 2008, 07:46 PM
"You're the lady with the plan," he told her. "I nearly said 'game-plan' there but that would have been inappropriate, given the circumstances. Where did you want to go next? You lead, I follow, it'll be like ballroom dancing."

Posted by: Serendipity Jul 9 2008, 08:02 PM
"I don't know if my plan is the same as THE plan," Ariel admitted. "But it's good enough for me."

"Take care," She said to Jochy. "And don't worry so much about winning in your own head."

She winked at him' and muttered something under her breath, and was gone.