[Pokey, meanwhile, is hungry, so he doesn't mind eating while he listens to John. He takes it slowly, making sure that he focuses more on what John has to say than the food.
As the man goes on, it makes more sense to Pokey. It gives him a different sense of perspective on things. While he wouldn't say the explanation on Sherlock necessarily endears him to the man any more than it had, but it makes sense. Pokey could understand wanting to help people, being driven to do that, but not being able to connect with them. The fact that Sherlock seemed even worse at connecting than Pokey was something to see. But he could at least understand that.
The fact that John and the others were so anxious to go back to Norfinbury too. If there was still a place Pokey needed to be that needed to finish business, if Mayfield was still active and alive and dangerous and he was here, Pokey would have reacted just the same. It's hard to blame John, when Pokey can think of scenarios where he would do the same.]
...I understand. I know that might sound like bull, but it's true. If I had anyplace else to be, anywhere else I could be that I thought needed my help, that was that dangerous and needed to be stopped, I'd be anxious to get out too. I don't, which is part of why I guess I'm more complacent with being here. After all I've seen, I'm kind of down with adventures or fighting in general.
I'm not going to get in the way or judge you all for trying to leave. If there is anything I can do to help, either with the possibility of this being some actual 'case' that could affect all of us, or trying to figure out a way to get you back where you are earlier, I will.
That's all I promise. I'm not crazy enough to think I can single handedly make your image better here. But whatever I can do to help you get where you need to be, I'll do what I can so long as I don't think it might somehow damage Zephyr.
It's not my image I'm worried about. [Not really. John can get by. He and Stephen are personable enough to make friends, or at least positive acquaintances. Even Bucky might be able to pull a few more people here into his orbit of trust by just keeping his head low.]
Sherlock's a hero. I know people have trouble believing it. I know it seems unlikely after what's happened, but he really is a hero. Honestly. I wish there were something here, some way for that to shine through. It's his image I'm worried about. The last time we were... the last memories I have of home, there was an arsehole who managed to tarnish his name. The press turned on him. Most of our allies turned on him. I can't let that happen again. He digs his own bloody grave in these things, but last time it at least took Moriarty to run him into the ground.
[John stabs at the pork chop he's eating, but doesn't actually pick any of it up.]
I'm his partner. I'm his assistant and blogger. Managing his image was part of my job back home. I used to be half-way decent at it.
And none of us want to hurt Zephyr. [Well, okay, maybe Bucky wanted to hurt Zephyr there for a bit.] I know they're just a kid. We want to get out with their help. But they either actually can't, or they won't. Maybe it's a little bit of both.
[Wanting people to recognize your friend, to realize how great he or she or they are. That's something that Pokey can relate to easily, something so much more immediately on his mind that he can understand. Pokey's not sure he necessarily cares more about Sherlock himself, but John's struggle to maintain this image of him. To wish others could see it.
That resonates with him quite a bit.]
...In places like this, it can be hard to actually help another person's image, because everyone is pretty much on display for one another. I believe you though, about him, even if I'm not seeing it yet. I'm not really sure what I could do to lighten the load there. But I'll at least try and keep giving him the benefit of the doubt instead of pouncing on him.
[See what he can do about trying to keep others from getting on the guy's back too, though he won't say that out loud quite yet. He did, after all, tell Watson he'd try and not be a mediator for everything here.]
They were wrong saying he got what he deserved recently. I can understand anger at him, but they're wrong to make excuses for him getting killed or that this guy just couldn't help himself in killing him.
I know you don't want to hurt Zephyr. I'm antsy, I guess. I'm not a master in regards to magic, but I've picked up basic theory and ideas with all the fairies and monsters and gods I've spoken with before getting here. I guess I'm mostly concerned about what we're teaching them, and that it'll be some weird magic shit where the emotions we put in might also somehow affect them.
I'm not saying that just in regards to worrying about your group. The old timers here aren't doing much better in trying to handle this.
[John's grateful for Pokey at least allowing that Sherlock might not be a complete and utter wanker. It's more than could be hoped for, really. He just nods to that and lets the lad speak as he finally takes a bite of the pork chops.]
I tried to tell them they weren't alone in it all, at least. Zephyr, I mean. After what happened with the whole... murder 'mystery.' I talked to them a little about Sherlock... and a little about what's going on with the gods. Has anyone told you about the illness? That might well affect Zephyr, too.
From what Miwa told me and Sherlock, it makes a god fall ill and disappear within minutes. A couple hundred different ones have been affected, it hit their last king, and there doesn't seem to be a pattern they can find, yet.
[John frowns and takes another bite of pork.]
If it's a disease, it's like nothing I've ever heard of, but with their king being targeted... that seemed significant.
[Despite how few words John uses, there's a lot of information to unpack, for a lot of reasons, from what he just said. There are a ton of different questions he could asks, wants to ask, but knows John probably doesn't have the answers himself.
He'll stick to what possibly might be worth asking or talking about.]
I'm not surprised they could get sick. Makes sense they'd have diseases we wouldn't know or understand either. At the same time, that seems like a whopper of a disease to just blow into town this quick, if it has just suddenly appeared. Fact there's no body afterwards is...suspicious.
Going to take it that's most the information she was willing to tell about it so far?
Yeah. Even that much was a bit like pulling teeth. I don't know that it's that she doesn't want to tell us, but she feel obligated not to say. Maybe it's taboos or she's liable to get in trouble with the other gods or something. I don't want to push her too far that she's pulled out and punished.
[That would just be a pointless waste. Miwa seems genuinely kind and earnest for one thing. For another, she's the most valuable information broker that they have so far. Or at least that John's seen outside of Deei during whatever was happening with Zephyr's powers going mad.]
She suggested I talk to Zephyr more about what we can do to help. I think it'd need to be more than just me telling them they need to let us help, though.
Be best if we don't, though I kind of suspect she won't let us get to that point. I talked with her a little, but I didn't dig too deeply into godly behavior and all that.
[Pokey thinks on that for a moment, resting his chin on the flat of his hand.]
It's worth a try, but it could take a little bit. If we start off by figuring out what they even know about it, and trying to give them advice on how to handle it that could lead to them trusting enough to let us get more hands on. ....Kids don't really want to look to someone else for help if they think they can handle it on their own. It can take a bit to get them to realize its okay to ask for help.
Yeah, that makes sense. [John knows he's stubborn and doesn't like asking for help as an adult. He digs into his pork chop as he considers a little more.]
Still, coming from more than just me would help. Would you be willing to give it a go talking with them about what they know?
[Pokey shrugs a little, taking another bite of his meal.]
They're as worn down as the rest of us from this month, so I'm going to give them just a little. But this coming month I don't mind helping talk to them about it.
Think we can wrap this up and fade out on them chatting
Fair enough. Everyone's gone through a bit of a wringer lately. Emotionally, if not physically. It's almost starting to feel like home. [John offers Pokey a wan smile and a shrug.] Anyway, why don't you tell me if you've been pulling a few more fruits and vegetables into your diet.
[He's absolutely going to use the opportunity to check up on Pokey's health while he has him here. It's a much easier topic to deal with.]
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As the man goes on, it makes more sense to Pokey. It gives him a different sense of perspective on things. While he wouldn't say the explanation on Sherlock necessarily endears him to the man any more than it had, but it makes sense. Pokey could understand wanting to help people, being driven to do that, but not being able to connect with them. The fact that Sherlock seemed even worse at connecting than Pokey was something to see. But he could at least understand that.
The fact that John and the others were so anxious to go back to Norfinbury too. If there was still a place Pokey needed to be that needed to finish business, if Mayfield was still active and alive and dangerous and he was here, Pokey would have reacted just the same. It's hard to blame John, when Pokey can think of scenarios where he would do the same.]
...I understand. I know that might sound like bull, but it's true. If I had anyplace else to be, anywhere else I could be that I thought needed my help, that was that dangerous and needed to be stopped, I'd be anxious to get out too. I don't, which is part of why I guess I'm more complacent with being here. After all I've seen, I'm kind of down with adventures or fighting in general.
I'm not going to get in the way or judge you all for trying to leave. If there is anything I can do to help, either with the possibility of this being some actual 'case' that could affect all of us, or trying to figure out a way to get you back where you are earlier, I will.
That's all I promise. I'm not crazy enough to think I can single handedly make your image better here. But whatever I can do to help you get where you need to be, I'll do what I can so long as I don't think it might somehow damage Zephyr.
That's honestly my main concern right now.
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Sherlock's a hero. I know people have trouble believing it. I know it seems unlikely after what's happened, but he really is a hero. Honestly. I wish there were something here, some way for that to shine through. It's his image I'm worried about. The last time we were... the last memories I have of home, there was an arsehole who managed to tarnish his name. The press turned on him. Most of our allies turned on him. I can't let that happen again. He digs his own bloody grave in these things, but last time it at least took Moriarty to run him into the ground.
[John stabs at the pork chop he's eating, but doesn't actually pick any of it up.]
I'm his partner. I'm his assistant and blogger. Managing his image was part of my job back home. I used to be half-way decent at it.
And none of us want to hurt Zephyr. [Well, okay, maybe Bucky wanted to hurt Zephyr there for a bit.] I know they're just a kid. We want to get out with their help. But they either actually can't, or they won't. Maybe it's a little bit of both.
no subject
That resonates with him quite a bit.]
...In places like this, it can be hard to actually help another person's image, because everyone is pretty much on display for one another. I believe you though, about him, even if I'm not seeing it yet. I'm not really sure what I could do to lighten the load there. But I'll at least try and keep giving him the benefit of the doubt instead of pouncing on him.
[See what he can do about trying to keep others from getting on the guy's back too, though he won't say that out loud quite yet. He did, after all, tell Watson he'd try and not be a mediator for everything here.]
They were wrong saying he got what he deserved recently. I can understand anger at him, but they're wrong to make excuses for him getting killed or that this guy just couldn't help himself in killing him.
I know you don't want to hurt Zephyr. I'm antsy, I guess. I'm not a master in regards to magic, but I've picked up basic theory and ideas with all the fairies and monsters and gods I've spoken with before getting here. I guess I'm mostly concerned about what we're teaching them, and that it'll be some weird magic shit where the emotions we put in might also somehow affect them.
I'm not saying that just in regards to worrying about your group. The old timers here aren't doing much better in trying to handle this.
no subject
I tried to tell them they weren't alone in it all, at least. Zephyr, I mean. After what happened with the whole... murder 'mystery.' I talked to them a little about Sherlock... and a little about what's going on with the gods. Has anyone told you about the illness? That might well affect Zephyr, too.
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You said it might be murders, instead.
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[John frowns and takes another bite of pork.]
If it's a disease, it's like nothing I've ever heard of, but with their king being targeted... that seemed significant.
no subject
He'll stick to what possibly might be worth asking or talking about.]
I'm not surprised they could get sick. Makes sense they'd have diseases we wouldn't know or understand either. At the same time, that seems like a whopper of a disease to just blow into town this quick, if it has just suddenly appeared. Fact there's no body afterwards is...suspicious.
Going to take it that's most the information she was willing to tell about it so far?
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Yeah. Even that much was a bit like pulling teeth. I don't know that it's that she doesn't want to tell us, but she feel obligated not to say. Maybe it's taboos or she's liable to get in trouble with the other gods or something. I don't want to push her too far that she's pulled out and punished.
[That would just be a pointless waste. Miwa seems genuinely kind and earnest for one thing. For another, she's the most valuable information broker that they have so far. Or at least that John's seen outside of Deei during whatever was happening with Zephyr's powers going mad.]
She suggested I talk to Zephyr more about what we can do to help. I think it'd need to be more than just me telling them they need to let us help, though.
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[Pokey thinks on that for a moment, resting his chin on the flat of his hand.]
It's worth a try, but it could take a little bit. If we start off by figuring out what they even know about it, and trying to give them advice on how to handle it that could lead to them trusting enough to let us get more hands on. ....Kids don't really want to look to someone else for help if they think they can handle it on their own. It can take a bit to get them to realize its okay to ask for help.
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Still, coming from more than just me would help. Would you be willing to give it a go talking with them about what they know?
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[Pokey shrugs a little, taking another bite of his meal.]
They're as worn down as the rest of us from this month, so I'm going to give them just a little. But this coming month I don't mind helping talk to them about it.
Think we can wrap this up and fade out on them chatting
[He's absolutely going to use the opportunity to check up on Pokey's health while he has him here. It's a much easier topic to deal with.]