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[methodofmadness]

This is Christopher, leave a message. [He clears his throat and quietly to the side whispers 'how was that Peggy? Yeah...yeah some more oomph. I thought so too']

You've reached Chaos! Leave a message or this answering machine will explode!

[gif by wolfy]

Comments

Re: Audio call, first

[fifthofthecovenant]

What's the drink?

[But he's already moving, heading that direction.]

Re: Audio call, first

[methodofmadness]

It's for my menu, I've been looking for something to really round it out. 5 is a good strong number anyways.

[He is at the bar, though he has some flasks and beakers on the counter, a scale. He looks like he's doing mad science rather than crafting a drink.]

[adamantea]

You do actually have to do things you don't want to do sometimes.

[There's no way she looks that much older to Chris than his own age, given how perception of her works. And yet. For as nicely and sympathetically as she says it, how how docile her expression stays, this is absolutely a fucking threat.

She's not a god of madness, no. Not right now. She's been one before; ten thousand years is a lot of time to experiment in, when experienced linearly, and she gets bored. And she could do some beautiful work with his psyche! She could make him incredible. She won't, she knows she won't, but she also knows so very, very well that she could.]

We can meet one time, and I can give you some space after that, okay? You can't avoid me forever, we live on the same ship and I don't sleep.

[methodofmadness]

I do things I dont want to.

[not often, he is very resistive and stubborn, but he does sometimes.

He sighs heavily at her request, but here you are Poppy, proof that he is capable of doing shit he doesn't want to at all.]

That is acceptable I guess, but I could probably avoid you, nothing is impossible.

Re: Audio call, first

[fifthofthecovenant]

All right, I'll be right there.

[Alcohol, okay then. He can do an alcoholic drink.

He shows up a few minutes later, and he surveys the scientific apparatus hanging out on the bartop curiously.]

Are those for your drink?

Re: Audio call, first

[methodofmadness]

[Funny to assume that it's alcohol. If Chase notices the laminated menu on the counter, the drinks are strictly non-alcoholic. Chris is a bit straight edge, which is both a blessing to the Barge, and a curse on those who would want to order alcohol from the teen.

He refuses to serve it himself.]

They are! If I want to craft something, I have to get the measurements precise, or else what's the point of having a recipe?

[Except when he is given a recipe and doesnt follow it because he thinks he sees a better way.

He pushes a glass forward filled with a strangely colored liquid. It isnt smoking, but it looks almost milky in color. And in actuality it is a Huckleberry cream sparkling soda, delicious despite the odd look of it.

Christopher bounces on his heels waiting for Chase's review.]

Re: Audio call, first

[fifthofthecovenant]

You're really serious about your drinks.

[Chase sounds amused, though, and he accepts the drink without hesitation, giving it a curious sniff before trying a mouthful. If the guy poisons him, he'll just come back to life in a few minutes, anyway, and then take away his toys so he can't do it again.

It doesn't taste like poison. It tastes pretty cool.]

Sweet. And fizzy. I have no idea what that flavor is, besides the cream soda part.

Re: Audio call, first

[methodofmadness]

No, Im serious about science. Baking and mixology is still science.

[He watches the other boy try his drink and smiles when he doesnt immediately gag. Its going over better than the pickle sparkling lemonade, at least, and that had made the menu.]

Huckleberry. I could probably cut it with something if its too sweet...

[adamantea]

[She just lets that first one sit there. Statistically someone wins the lottery every once in a while, too.]

Okay. Do you want us to be in my cabin, yours, or somewhere else, like the Enclosure?

Re: Audio call, first

[fifthofthecovenant]

Got it. I mean, I treat magic kind of like science, but I don't do alchemy-type magic so I'm not playing with bottles and bunsen burners or anything.

[He waves the drink a little, careful not to spill it.]

I'm all about energy and intention and stuff.

[Then he has more of the drink drink, trying to identify "huckleberry". The problem is he's never had huckleberry before. Now he's forever going to label this sweet flavor as "huckleberry".]

Well, anyway, it's good, if you like something really sweet. Not everyone will, but that's why you have a whole menu I guess. What else is on it?

~ in the dark of the night Nokov will find you (somewhat backdated)

[thereisnoif]

Sometimes Nokov is in the space Christopher made for him under his bed, sometimes he's not. It's not always easy to know which it is, unless he emerges when Chris is awake in his room. It's also often hard to tell how long he's been there, as he doesn't technically need food and sometimes just spends a good chunk of time semi-meditating in the scraps of his night that he can wrap around him.

It can also be hard to say how much he's aware of what's going on around him, even though he doesn't seem surprised to see Chris in less than prime condition from where he's sitting at the end of his bed. Nokov staring at you has a way of waking someone up, whatever state they'd been in before he appeared.

He generally uses that instead of little things like 'words'.

Re: ~ in the dark of the night Nokov will find you (somewhat backdated)

[methodofmadness]

Chris has been sleeping a lot. Not only has the double death toll been rather miserable, but Germaryah being upset with him has made it even more miserable.

He tosses and turns in his sleep, conflicted as he is, but without any passion behind it, even so stressed he hasn't been sleep building. It's unusual and when he can feel Nokov's eyes on him, he blinks his eyes open and tilts his head just enough to catch the god at the end of his bed.

He slowly blinks once before his head falls back flat on his pillow. Peggy readjusts herself in the nest on the windowsill.

His voice has started coming back, but its hoarse with disuse, "hello." Not depressed enough to say hi to his friend at least?

[thereisnoif]

The lack of sleep building is somewhat unusual, though that at least appears to have a straightforward enough cause.

Once Nokov can see that Chris is awake and aware of him he turns down the intensity of his staring, so at least Chris doesn't have that to add to his discomfort as he falls back on his pillow.

"You died." Whether Nokov was already aware of that or not, the air of slight annoyance about that would remain.

[methodofmadness]

"I didn't mean to." A pause, chewing it over before he adds, "the first time."

And maybe Nokov will be upset with him for that too. Maybe he deserves it. Maybe that irritation is because hes already annoyed and hes here to tell him how they arent friends any more.

[thereisnoif]

"These things happen."

It's pretty easy to kill humans, and Chris can come back, here, so Nokov isn't that annoyed that he's temporarily not in the best shape.

He's far more patient than he can appear. Though, admittedly, he often comes off as less 'impatient' than 'potentially somewhat depressed'. It's probably better for Chris' mood that Nokov can't read his mind, so doesn't have any reason to say that he can't tell him that they aren't friends any more because he doesn't think they're friends. As an attempt at comfort it would fall flat.

"You shouldn't stay up here."

[methodofmadness]

Chris would also object to being called human, because he isn't one, but ah well. If only they were capable of telepathy like The Eleven.

"You want me to go down there?"

[thereisnoif]

"Yes."

It's night, but the darkness Nokov can find there is still better.

[methodofmadness]

He slowly pushes himself up with a grunt and rolls out of bed onto the floor. Its practically sparkling in here since Germaryah cleaned and he stares sadly at the spot where his pizza experiment had been.

The mold colonies had been scrubbed from existence before managing to achieve sentience.

He sighs dramatically before rolling again and falling down the few feet under the bed in front of the couch. It hurts but hes far better at taking blunt force than stabbing. He doesnt get up from the floor where he landed.

[thereisnoif]

Nokov had noticed the difference, but he'd decided to ignore the mess from the beginning so he ignore the lack of it too.

He drops onto the couch with a good deal more grace. Practice (and, yes, the lack of a death toll) can do a lot. He considers Chris for a few moments, before deciding he'd probably be better off on the couch. Nokov isn't that much stronger than a normal human, but Chris isn't the heaviest weight even as a dead-weight, and he does end up just sort of rolling him onto the couch. At least he hadn't dropped him on the floor.

"Who killed you?" It's mostly just a neutral inquiry. Nokov does like knowing things, and he hasn't decided yet if their contract means he should do something about it.

[methodofmadness]

Chris rolls limp onto the couch and settles with his head on the other boy's leg. He lays there a moment before glancing up at him, "stupid raising man."

Which is his usual nickname for The Ghoul, one hes used many a time.

"He asked me a question, and I answered and then he started stabbing me... I should have asked for his screwdriver."

[thereisnoif]

Nokov does listen to him, even if it's not always easy to see (it's partially difficult because he likes to be concealed by darkness), so he nods, recognizing who Chris is talking about.

"Do you want me to kill him?" It's an inquiry free of judgement.

[methodofmadness]

The question hangs in the darkness and Christopher considers it.

If he were a good person, if he wasn't evil, what would the answer be? What makes a good person? The ability to look passed transgressions? He is a person who, in certain instances, holds a grudge. Maybe he isn't good for that reason.

He's reminded of the look on Germaryah's face, how upset he was that he'd died. He didn't like that, though he did like that he cried for him, that implies mutual feelings, if they exist any more. But would he cry for the Ghoul?

He doesn't like the Ghoul, and he can follow that line down far enough to say that he hates him. But they're both immortal on the barge, death isn't permanent. What good would that do? Would it make him feel better?

Do feelings matter when it comes to death?

"I don't know. I think in some ways yes, in some ways no." Theres so much going on in his brain as he considers all that he wants, why and what it could do for him.

"I suppose the first question I have would be how? Would anyone know it was you?"

[thereisnoif]

Nokov waits as Chris thinks about it.

He's killed a lot of people. He wouldn't say that he's ever killed for no reason. It's not that he cares about being a 'good' or 'bad' person (he considers that a mortal affliction), but he isn't a wasteful one. Sometimes that reason is a matter of revenge.

There are plenty of necessary deaths, and the rush of vengeance can be extremely necessary to properly continue to lead you life. He doesn't know if it's necessary for Christopher, but, he feels, it usually is it's simply that not everyone is able to see it clearly.

It's vengeance that carries virtue.

"They wouldn't know." He's killed a lot of people! He knows how to make it work! "I would wait for an appropriate port. If there are enough people there are people who can be accused of carrying out such an act."

Re: Audio call, first

[methodofmadness]

I don't play, it's all very serious work. [He mumbles, though he puts his chin in his hand, tilting his head.]

I haven't seen much magic. Mostly just mad science, but I did see a magic mural once. It held the ancestors of the witch family who created it. Clement was very nice... And it was super cool to think that magic could create an eternal afterlife for the souls of that family by blood or bond.

[He is aware that not everyone likes sweet, it's why this is the first sweet thing he'd added to the menu, it's very wide reaching, he thinks. Which should be great for making sure there's something for everyone!

He looks down at the menu, reading off it-]

So far? Fig, rosemary and fennel infused water and Pickle lemonade.

[methodofmadness]

"Hmm." He feels like he should ask The Eleven what he would do in this instant, though reaching out and calling for him feels like a lot of effort right now. He's very tired.

"The longer we wait, the less likely someone might think it has anything to do with my death... Maybe I'll think about it. How long does the offer stand? Is there a time limit on how long I should hold a grudge? Because I think I'm very good at it... I might not like him until I'm eighty years old."