come_sailaway | APRIL OPEN LOG: PIRATE JENNY

APRIL OPEN LOG: PIRATE JENNY

[early risers with odd-numbered rooms might notice that the morning sun doesn't quite come through the curtains as much as it usually does; they can peer out the portholes to see their views blocked by black-painted wood. everyone else won't realize something's off until the morning announcements. there's the chime, and Friday speaks, but...]

Passengers, I'd like for you all to join me in the atrium at your earliest possible convenience! We have a… situation!

[there is no bind on their legs; going is their choice. but, who wouldn't? something interesting is happening, at least. for once.

when they arrive, they will find Friday, and find that she is not alone. a woman - tall, dark, with a flowing coat and a lit cigar hanging from the side of her mouth like an old movie gangster - is standing on the raised area by the stairs; they are having a conversation that's too quiet to hear, and the woman's face is nearly as inscrutable. when enough have gathered, Friday steps forward, her empty hands clasped together in front of her, as the woman puts out the cigar on the heel of her boot and tosses it thoughtlessly to the ground.]

Good morning, everyone! I.. I'd like, I'd like to, well, I'd -

[the woman places a firm hand on Friday's shoulder - spins her, grabs her, dips her low to the ground, and kisses her soundly. at the first touch, Friday freezes; but, at the dip, she squeaks, and throws her arms up to hold herself up. the woman returns her to a normal position, and grins widely.]

Let me handle this, Dajutia. Hm? [Friday nods, and the woman turns to face the passengers.] Tau, everyone! My name is Jenny Storm, but all my friends call me Pirate Jenny! And I'd like to think we're all friends, sí? You could call me an... alumnus of the Serena Eterna; I spent a good five years being a thorn in the side of our good Captain! So, when I heard that he was getting up to his old tricks again, I decided to come around and see the fresh meat! And maybe have a bit of a vacation myself!

[she looks at each of them in turn. her grin widens, showing sharp canines.]

Now, I am sure you are thinking, "Señora Storm? You are a pirate! Are you here to rob us of our valuables?" [she barks out a laugh, then shakes her head.] No, no. First off, we're friends; it's Pirate Jenny! And Pirate Jenny is not interested in such things. In fact, I have valuables for you!

[she makes a quick movement: she sticks her pointer finger in her mouth, and then immediately uses that same finger to make some sort of sketch on her palm. seconds later, that same palm closes around a single white rose, which she extends to Friday. she pauses... then takes it, careful, holding it gentle as a bird.]

I may not be the Captain, but I happen to have a little bit of magic of my own! And, for a very, very low price, I can grant you a few small wishes! Trifles from home, maybe - do you like rocket launchers? I am getting very good at rocket launchers!

Jenny...

Okay, okay, no rocket launchers... Machine guns are as big as I'll go, promise!

[Friday just audibly sighs and shakes her head, but there's a clear sort of fondness in it, and Jenny laughs again.]

So, be sure to chat me up, sí? After breakfast! I may not miss much about this damned ship, but I do miss those little omelets!

[she salutes the audience, and then immediately leaves, taking the stairs down three at a time and needlessly pushing her way through the small crowd on her way to the elevators. Friday merely watches her go; her fingers have worried the rose to shreds that fall at her feet.

the rest of the month, until the 13th, is very much the same, with one exception: Jenny's ship remains at the Serena Eterna's side, a sailing ship somehow keeping pace with a modern engine craft. and Jenny doesn't seem to be keeping an especially close eye on it.]

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[Wow, cold reception much!! Well, not even cold so much as aggressively lukewarm--which is maybe better or maybe worse, depending on how one might tilt their head to look at it. Either way, it doesn't surprise Jade in the least, seeing as this falls quite on track with the dynamic that's been trending here from the moment of Natsuno's arrival and onward: a pair of teen friends trying to get Very Important Matters done, while an unwanted adult heckles them incessantly from the sidelines. (Which maybe boils it down almost too simply, when you then factor in that the Important Matters are a developing gameplan to overthrow a nigh-eldritch jailor, while the unwanted adult lives in this room and was also very rudely punched in the face even before it all began....but, you know. Details, right?)

Is it a dynamic that hurts Jade's feelings? Not particularly. Is it a dynamic that he even wants to rectify? Also not particularly, honestly, if only because he sees no reason why he should be the one trying to extend any kind of metaphorical attempt at repair here. Who decided to have this meeting in this particular room? Who decided to barge their way inside by the most ill-considered means possible? All three of them know exactly what the answers to those questions actually are, in here...and Jade sure isn't about to conduct himself as if he doesn't. So!

Natsuno's pointed and deadpan rejection of sarcasm, followed almost immediately by Clarke being more or less sarcastic anyway, pair into a combo so perfectly-timed that it actually prompts a short laugh on Jade's part.]

My, no need for sarcasm, was it? But of course. [With a level of cheer that in itself loops right back around to being, distressingly, just as sarcastic as earlier. Sorry Natsuno! Old clothing put away and first aid kit retrieved, Jade's bringing it over to the desk across the way from the sofa and popping it open one-handed, nary a proper pause or further glance afforded in Clarke's direction at her response in general. Though he is answering, idly.] I'm sure you'll both be overjoyed to know that I've nothing further to offer, where information from Miss Jenny might be concerned. I am quite flattered to be offered the chance to sulk in a corner of my own room, though! The generosity really knows no bounds in here, does it?

[Look, if Clarke's bitter streak is a mile wide, Jade's own contrarian streak is about as wide in turn, when invoked--which it sure is, at this particular moment. Her lack of interest in introductions couldn't be clearer, and so Jade is naturally breezing right into that lane of conversation anyway.]

You can call me Jade, in any case. And I suppose I could call you "Yuuki's friend, who doesn't know how to knock on doors", if you truly do prefer it! Though that is going to be a bit of a mouthful...

[Really though....you guys............]

Edited 2022-04-17 04:45 (UTC)

( ...you know what? she's been called worse. clarke will take it, with a casual shrug of indifference. )

Yeah, that's fine.

( and then immediately back to demanding natsuno's attention — because they've touched on the facts of the matter, but not their intended game plans. not the heavy emotions the circumstance evokes, not the pit in her stomach that grows deeper every time death is demanded. )

I don't know how to do this any different than Jenny did, but I don't want to give him souls just for a chance to play a hand of cards. And to maybe not burn for all eternity.

( because really, look at jenny. she's smoldering over hot coals in one way or another, and her anguish probably satisfies the captain just as much as that of her brothers' fueled him. this isn't her first sadist. )

Agreed. That's not an option.

[He knows that in the moment of truth, he probably wouldn't be able to do that to someone else (except perhaps another vampire).]

Maybe we should focus on finding a way to destroy the souls he already has. It's be merciful at this point, and destroying his engine will definitely get him angry.

[He glances at Jade.]

You're a mage, right? Do you know how to destroy souls?

[And back to talking shop they go, by the looks of it. Clarke's refusal to divulge an actual name is met with similar indifference on Jade's part--if not maybe tinged with a vague sort of amusement, as utterly petty as the whole matter is. But then they're moving on, once an overall unimpressed atmosphere is collectively established here, and Jade's just about content to leave them to it. He's pulling some painkillers out of the first aid kit about now, anyway, and...hm, there's a packet of tissues in here too, which is nice. Maybe--

--Oh, huh. Natsuno, now the designated deadpan middleman to these overly sarcastic 109 proceedings, actually addresses a question to Jade directly anyhow, which is mildly surprising enough for him to finally glance up in turn. Honestly, he'd figured the both of them would be considering him a lost cause after his prompt confirmation of having nothing more to contribute intel-wise--and that really would have been just fine by him, at this point--but if Natsuno is actually asking anyway...]

The technical term is 'fonist', actually, on my own part...though I've gathered an impression from similar instances on this ship that a 'mage' would be about equivalent, yes. ...That being said, I'm afraid my specialty lies more in destroying bodies.

[Or replicating them, he doesn't say, because Jade has never mentioned that to anyone here and still pretty much never plans to if he can help it, fraught as the topic of fomicry remains. ...But even there, fomicry never could reach the soul of anything anyhow, much the same way no fonic arte on the whole could ever hope to affect that domain. ...Hard as he'd tried to find one.

Notably there actually isn't anything particularly sarcastic about his words in that moment. If anything, even, there might be the slightest note of something more like resignation instead--but then it's gone, just as quickly. Jade's attention falls back down to pulling open the tissue pack, but he's still turning the question over a few times more in his head anyway. Regardless of the audience, after all...it is still a prudent matter to think about, here.]

Not a bad question to ask, all the same. Addressing the power source here would be one way to tackle multiple issues at once, alongside capturing the Captain's attention in an effective sort of fashion. ...Even if a specialist in souls couldn't be found among the passengers here...locating someone with a specialty in energy manipulation might be a more feasible angle. I've met only one other peer here who deals in an arte system similar to my own, so far-- [and that peer is fifteen-year-old Rita Mordio, believe it or not, for all that he's never actually telling her that he considers her an approximate peer to her face] --but as other 'mages' go...hm. I did speak with a young man by the name of Palamedes...and he did mention he was a "necromancer", of some sort. [Here, a wry smile, but it's more to himself than anyone else, and so directed to the desktop in front of him.]

( just as she's listened to every other piece of information willingly given (or vaguely alluded to), when jade talks about his occupation. he's turned away from them, looking at the desk. it's fine to openly stare at the back of his head, gaze doing it's best impression of archaic trepanation tools; it's appraising, sizing him up, making a mental note to add his name and fonist/necromancer to the rough-scratched passenger manifest in the back of one of her many composition books.

and oh hey, shout out to palamedes — )

We've met him. He's talented.

( clinical and composed. knowledgeable and helpful. equally willing to sit her on an observation table and try to work out the details of her maybe-death back home as he is to bleed over slips of paper and scraps of bone in order to date them. but hang on, did he say arte? )

...huh. ( a few stupid, slow blinks before an expression of better understanding settles across clarke's features. yeah, sure, this tracks. he's absolutely a mage by her metric, just nowhere near as helpful and friendly as rita, flynn, or yuri. ) So that's how you did the trick with the spear? I thought blastia just channeled power and elements, but you made a whole weapon out of nothing.

[Oh hey, blastia. He's heard that word before! Natsuno looks Jade up and down, looking for jewelry like Rita and Yuri's.]

He's not wearing any blastia.

[He tilts his head. Rita and Yuri mentioned 'artes' too, but...]

I don't think it's like Rita's magic exactly. She does call herself a mage, not 'fonist'.

[Well, hold on now. Here he'd thought the more relevant topic at hand would be the Captain's energy resources and viable ways to compromise them, but...in the end, it's looking like they've actually gotten a little sidetracked after all? Blastia are being brought up now, even, and the overall shift is a startling enough sort of thing that Jade's turning fully from the desk to blink properly at the both of them. ...Finding two different intent stares being leveled right back at him in the process...which would almost be a bit disconcerting, if he were a sort of person prone to such self-consciousness. He isn't, for the record, but it's a bit unexpected to discover all the same--or perhaps the better word would be weird, really. Maybe it's the utter dichotomy from the thorough disinterest both these teens had been expressing in his general existence all the way up to now...

But it seems that artes and their parallels are a relevant interest--and it's not so hard to guess as to why, really, considering the associations they both seem to be pulling upon here. Eyebrows arching a bit, Jade's shaking his head, as he absentmindedly daubs at his nose with a newly-freed tissue. (He'd been just about to use said tissue as a nose plug in general, actually, but here he is getting sidetracked again...)]

--Hm, correct, I'm wearing no "blastia" of any sort. In fact, the concept of such an artifact was entirely unfamiliar to me until my arrival here. There is no such item required to cast fonic artes, where I'm from; rather, it's entirely a matter of one's own innate physical capacity, as well as general talent. ...But I suppose the both of you must be acquainted with Miss Mordio, is that right? [Huh. This is...well, no, this part is actually the least surprising bit of all this. The ship in itself might be a rather large vessel, but the passenger manifest remains a surprisingly small one, considering the number of unique faces Jade's run into in his time here so far. Probably only a matter of time for these sorts of social circles to overlap, in such ultimately confined quarters. (So sorry for not being nearly so friendly and helpful as his roughly equivalent ~~Tales~~ peers, wow!! Surely Rita, Flynn, or Yuri would all be so much more pleasant to deal with directly after punching them in the face too, right?? ...........Well, maybe Flynn actually would take a punch to the face that well, but--that's not the point. Anyway--)] We don't actually hail from the same worlds at all. But I've spoken with her as well; some time was spent comparing notes on our respective systems, and there are several differences. For one thing, categorization of elements is the same, but...

[His attention shifts more properly to Clarke, as her earlier remark on his spear reaches immediate relevance in this sort of way.]

...fonic artes do not necessarily deal in just channeling elements. For the record, that wasn't me creating a weapon from "nothing" earlier; my spear as I maintain it currently is in fact present with me at all times. Summoning it is more a matter of reconstituting its fonic components back to its original structure. Which is--hmm.

[Abruptly, though, Jade seems to be stopping himself short as a thought occurs to him, and a very vague equivalent of something like resignation crosses his features. Yet again--as does occasionally happen, when he finds himself having to explain such basic things as the baseline tenets of fonology--he really rather wishes Guy were here to explain the more tedious aspects for him instead. Why...does he even want to explain this right now? Honestly, he kind of doesn't, but at the same time...maybe it's all the expectant staring. Shrugging this entire topic off might yet be a viable option, but it's still not an exaggeration to say that this is a field very firmly within Jade's interest and considerable expertise all the same; to be confronted with an audience not even aware of the barest basics is a surprisingly difficult sort of thing to turn away from?? ...Where...to even start, though...]

Neither of you probably know what fonons are, I'd guess. I've not yet met a single person on this vessel who actually does, despite the fact that they're--well. Are you both familiar with the concept of atoms and such, at least? The components of the matter in the world around us?

( ....jade really just did ask the girl who probably died in a wave of nuclear radiation as every powerplant on earth melted down simultaneously if she knew what atoms were. the one still sporting the flakey healing spots of radiation burns, who'd thus far spelled out atomic theory for rita mordio and john watson in casual conversation.

slowly, warily and a little insulted honestly, clarke nods. drawls around an unamused — ) Yeah. And splitting them.

( but just as quick as she had been to attack in the dark, in the face of new importation and dots begging to be connected, some of the hostility sweeps off her face. there's a brief look of deep thought, like trying to recall something from lessons years in the past, and...

yeah. yeah? yeah. )

Are you talking about phonons?

( look, the ark raised kids to survive in space, which did not include a whole lot of quantum physics. but they were also all the descendants of highly educated astronauts from all over the world, and plenty of concepts filtered through lesson plans about agro-farming and welding. a brief aside for natsuno, just in case he's not caught the meaning behind the homophone. ) Manipulating atoms within solid structures with acoustic vibrations, which creates energy and heat, and play a big role in conductivity.

( then back to jade: )

So, you shake the atomic particles around you until you can use that energy to turn them into whatever solid structure you want?

[Look, it's not exactly like death by wave of nuclear radiation is a common method of demise in Auldrant! Certainly not enough so for Jade to draw such assumptions just from the sight of those flakey healing radiation burns--since, for that matter, radiation by the conventional definition may not yet be a thing in Auldrant either. But atomic theory is, all the same: a remnant result of the audacious progress scientists had been making in the Dawn Age, before much of that progress was shattered in the great wars of that time. Even if 'splitting' said atoms didn't necessarily carry over with that remnant; Clarke's turn of phrase there doesn't spark any visible recognition on Jade's part.

But in general it's been difficult to immediately guess where a given passenger on the Serena Eterna might fall on the spectrum of familiarity in these sorts of concepts. The basics of fonons are taught to the average citizen of any one country in Auldrant at the very beginning of elementary schooling, about as basic a component of life and the world's mechanics as maths and the alphabet--yet Jade has had yet to meet anyone here who doesn't initially give him a completely blank look at the mention of them, even among the more clearly research-minded.

...Until now, anyway. Natsuno is evidently nonplussed, but Clarke--does seem to alight with some sort of recognition, even after her more irate confirmation of atoms and their splitting. ...Granted, the definition of phonons that she quickly directs Natsuno's way is...strange, in its phrasing, but a point of context that Jade actually finds about as useful as Natsuno in turn. It's a point of reference, anyway, to the structure of the question she goes on to ask Jade; he blinks at it with a visible equivalent to some faint surprise actually touching upon his features, for a moment or so.]

Not--quite. Although...your definition is strangely parallel. We may still be speaking of different 'fonons'... [Homophone to 'phonons' as they are, apparently; in a verbal sort of way neither of them would be able to point out such a difference, but the shift in phrasing and concept offer hints in that direction. Still--] ...But fonic artes do indeed hinge on the concept of vibration. 'Fonons' as they are known in Auldrant are unique particles of resonance bound alongside non-resonant atoms; it's less that I shake them myself, exactly, and more that they are already in constant vibration. Different elements in the matter around us are derived from different frequencies, and being able to separate and harness those frequencies is the baseline for being able to cast fonic artes.

[So, yes, close--but not quite. The more low-key scientist part of Jade's thoughts, a constant in the back of his head, is intrigued at just how closely their definitions nearly intersect all the same--there are implications to consider about this, no doubt--a note to be written and pored over properly sometime later, perhaps. But for now...absentmindedly he's reaching for his right arm, as he continues--a gesture that drops on its own, in the end, but it was the same arm he was using his spear with earlier...]

I cannot create matter that doesn't already exist in a structure of its own. [No, even with replicas--an original must be drawn from in vicinity.] But if I want to store an existing item, I can do so by breaking it down into its fonic components. From that point it's simply a matter of pulling them back together into their original structure, when I want to use the item again.

[You know, this is actually a pretty rare occasion of Jade being quite so forthright with an explanation about this--probably prompted by Clarke's startlingly near-correct sort of guess, more than anything, but still! You guys better enjoy this, it's a rarity really...!]

( his lecture is enjoyed with all the pomp and circumstance as... most lectures are. their definitions are different, disjointed but just similar enough that the others applications of atomic sciences should be familiar. but clarke had trained under her mother as a doctor, not an engineer or a teacher. her understanding is limited, but there's not a hint of glass passing across her eyes as she stares jade down and hangs on every word he says. the middle ground of atomic elements manipulated by vibration is strong enough that she... thinks she understands what he's saying.

jade gestures are his spear wielding arm, and clarke looks first at the bones of his wrist — then the air around his right, like maybe if she squinted hard enough, she could see the hidden components of the spear hanging in the negative space behind him. obviously she can't — it's on an atomic level, after all. but best believe she'll never look at jade curtiss and the air around him as an honest picture again.

it's odd, honestly. that his description of magic is the one she can follow the most. it aligns with familiar science enough that it almost doesn't sounds nonsensical and fantastical. clarke would almost like to ask more questions, pry further. but his nose is still leaking blood and her knuckles still smart where skin and met skin and threatened to tear under the friction. )

...that's actually really cool, ( is the eventual commentary, in casual teenage fashion. half dismissive, half fascinated. still inevitably retreating to some cagey silence while weighing the use of this newly discovered power in the face of the mysterious overlord they were dealing with. nothing sensational springs to mind, but clarke fully intends to keep chewing over the information jade's provided.)

I think I understand what you're saying. ( and yet, that nosebleed... while she still has jade's attention, she silently brings a hand up to her own face; mimes wiping beneath her nose, as yet another persistent dribble of blood escapes the man's nostril and makes a beeline for his lips. she even sniffs for emphasis — sort that shit out, jade — before retuning to a casual façade, and rounding out the conversation with: )

I'd like to see what else you can manifest, if there's options other than that spear.

[Not a terrible idea, to assume he might just be able to pull something from the air around him at any given time--there is a grain of accuracy in there, after all, even if the components of Jade's spear in particular are actually stored within his right arm on a general basis. (He doesn't go out of his way to outline that now, but perhaps at some point Clarke could think back on his extremely sarcastic answer to the very first question she'd asked after assaulting him, and realize he was actually being quite honest after all--) Still, the fon belt as a source encompasses all surrounding matter anyhow, air included! Fonic artes often draw out the elements directly from the environment in this fashion, and so in this way it's no stretch to say that Jade's never truly completely unarmed...

Doubtless it's a lot to digest, though. Jade can't exactly relate to the idea of having to absorb the theory from scratch at this point--he's been versed in fonology for as long as he can remember, had ravenously absorbed all the finer details and workings of it with a childhood obsession that still hasn't entirely worn away even nowadays--but still, here and now, he'll call it enough of a win that he doesn't actually need to explain much more for the moment. If anything, Clarke's first remark at length earns a huff of a laugh, Jade's smile taking on a wry sort of edge.]

"Cool" is one way to describe it, yes. [To use a dreadfully teen sort of colloquialism, sure...!! But Clarke's mimed motion in a nose direction doesn't go unnoticed, and it is true that the small detour this conversation's taken actually did manage to sidetrack Jade entirely from thoughts of more pressing matters at hand. --Like the blood, still trying to settle upon his lips once more, and he's promptly raising a tissue in hand to daub at it yet again with a sigh.] There can indeed be other options, to an extent--I can only store one thing to manifest at a time, however, so there would need to be a bit of a selection process involved. More than one object gets rather uncomfortable, you see!

[What does that mean? Great question! One he's not keen on actually answering, it would seem; around this point Jade's finally turning back towards the desk and the first aid kit upon it, at length, so that he can take up a second tissue and start molding it in such a way to fit in one nostril. Because he's pretty tired of bleeding, thanks...! But while he's at it--] --At any rate. Do either of you two have an opinion on coffee?

[As abruptly non-sequitur as it is, there's probably a very nearly sardonic air to this question too? But he does...feel like he could really use a coffee about now, to be quite honest...]

( clarke's still mulling over the differences in science between worlds, the different applications — it doesn't often occur to her that what seems mundane and everyday to her may strike others as magical; jade may be able to drag a spear out of thin air, but has he ever been to space? has he melted through code and grey matter to meet a homicidal a.i. inside his own head? still, ask her outright and clarke would prefer the spear — when that absolutely abrupt conversational 180 throws her for a loop.

...coffee?

there's a sidelong glance at natsuno, almost to check if he'd heard the same offer. then to gauge if he's going to accept or not, because she's never had coffee by traditional standards and honestly has no preference. but she knows what it does and honestly, despite exhausting whatever new information the three of them had gleaned, there was still a lot of work here to do.

but jade's literally just shoved a new piece of tissue up his nose and it's already saturated with blood. if he's offering a coffee run, it wouldn't feel right to send him out of the confines of 109 while still actively bleeding from his face. so before any sort of affirmative, clarke's finally unwinding stiff legs and standing. everything about her approach is different this time. maybe not exceptionally kind and gentle, but slow and as nonthreatening as she can manage until she comes to a stop right in front of the man.

then she wordlessly gestures for him to drop his hand from his face. pulls a fresh from the box on the desk and — if he doesn't outright smack her hands or run away, will go about pulling the first tissue from his nostril. gently, oh so gently shoving the second up his nose, and then not-even-remotely-gently pinching his nose. it probably smarts, but short cauterizing tools and an ice pack, pressure was their best friend here. clarke's other hand will end up at the back of jade's head, firm and demanding he dip his head towards his chest. and under her breath, she begins to count. )

[You know...........Jade had a few expectations here, about the responses he'd be netting from this coffee-themed sort of detour. It's been a rather sassy sort of teen audience up to this point, all told, putting aside their brief shift to magical quantum physics--so he'd really figured this would be a pretty straightforward sort of thing! The most likely outcome had felt like it'd be a resounding no, maybe with some irritated quips about such an utterly useless turn in conversation. But even the less likely outcome of actual agreement about coffee would have been manageable, too, if not mildly surprising. Jade does now fully plan to make a coffee run regardless, and it wouldn't be too much hassle to pick up an additional cup or two in the process...because maybe he gets a feeling that Clarke and Natsuno won't be retiring for the night anytime soon (or Actually Leaving, in Clarke's case). The coffee olive branch had been a mildly sardonic one...but it was still an olive branch all the same, if only in that sense, couched in a tired sort of resignation that can already tell that apologies for the earlier chaos of this room party are probably never truly forthcoming anytime soon. Yet valuable information's been exchanged in here all the same, and the hostilities were pretty clearly mislead from the very beginning, and--maybe they could all use some caffeine, anyway.

But.

Partially turned away as he was again, Jade nearly doesn't quite notice Clarke's approach until she's right beside him--a proximity that's startling to realize, when he finally does. Turning her way, her new gesture at his face earns a bit of a blink, and...well, maybe he is still a little off-kilter here? After all, under more normal circumstances, Jade would probably be far more inclined to shoo her out of his space at least verbally, if not physically--when she reaches for the tissue in his nose like that, and swaps it for a new one--since he could quite manage something like that on his own, thanks? A word of warning about the first plug already being saturated would have been perfectly sufficient? The fact that he does find himself letting her just, push in the new tissue of her own volition, is probably some loophole of the sheer unexpectedness...the odd gentleness of the gesture, you know. Quite a far cry from the punching of earlier, and Clarke's rather remorseless air about it all the way up until now. Jade...couldn't actually begin to guess what's prompted this change of heart all of a sudden, but--

--huh, she's still not leaving his space yet...? She's--reaching up to--]

What--hm--! [The bridge of his nose is still pretty tender, all things considered?? The not-so-gentle pinching is assuredly more painful than not, and it's a testament to Jade's general habit of composure that he doesn't outright yelp or something, but there's at least a sharp huff of breath to immediately break up his initial attempt at a question. He does get very close to outright pushing Clarke away, honestly, an indignant sort of impulse behind a hand that raises a bit, but...! He ends up using it to sort of, grab the edge of the desk beside him in the end, because 1) Clarke's already actively pushing his head down with another hand, and 2) he...does realize what she's actually trying to do, belatedly, even if he's still thoroughly surprised to find her actually doing it. Part of him's almost more exasperated at himself than at Clarke, just for not thinking of this sooner--because he does know the more common means of generally dealing with bloody noses?? But it's just, been awhile, since he had one himself...and he's admittedly spent the last several minutes being too distracted to think of these more drastic steps to stemming the bleeding...

--Honestly, Jade still kind of really wants to pull away here--he could still do it--talk about a thoroughly awkward position?? But now she's got a grip on his nose, and moving too much at this point would probably hurt even more, if not actually make the bleeding worse. Still, you'd better believe he's at least not going to sit here quietly about it--!]

You--this--this really isn't answering my question about the coffee...

[It's a bit harder to be properly sarcastic at this sort of angle--not to mention the more nasal aspect of this struggle, about now--but Jade's tone is nothing if not distinctly incredulous. He's still pretty surprised this is even happening....how does anyone react to something like this happening, honestly? Short of outright pushes and shoves? Jade has never encountered a personal bubble invasion quite on this sort of level before. He may, in fact, even be at something of a loss here...! At least for a moment or two.

.......This is probably even weirder to bear audience to from the sidelines, honestly, sorry Natsuno????]

[Natsuno was content to sit on the bed and watch them discuss quantum physics, musing silently about how goddamn weird the whole situation is.

Then Jade mentions coffee, Clarke grabs his head and Natsuno is both surprised and amused at the man's reaction (not that his expression changes or anything, but it's still kind of funny).]

Do you always whine when people are trying to help you? [Rude little shit. He shrugs.] Coffee's fine, I guess.

( coffee had been his olive branch. rough but efficient medical care was hers. they practically live in an olive grove now.

this up close and personal once again, clarke gets a front row seat to every confused, conflicting, and catty expression that washes over jade's face. of particular note being that swirl of frustrated understanding that seems to keep his hands at his sides. the quiet counting gets up to forty-three, forty-four, forty-five before the man seems to settle in her care — while still throwing as much nasally sass as he can manage, which gets very little reaction from clarke. she just continues to count until natsuno pipes up that he'd take a coffee.

then a moment to check her ministrations — to release jade's nose and tug at the tissue compress shoved up his nostril until she can just sorta... peer directly at his sinuses and check if the blood is still oozing freely or if it's begun to coagulate. sixty-seven whole seconds of tightly applied pressure seems to have done the trick, and at least for now the errant rivers of blood no longer make a beeline for the bow of his upper lip. let's call this a success. )

I'd take a bagel, too.

[THANKS NATSUNO, EXTREMELY HELPFUL AS ALWAYS...! Just can't resist some peanut gallery commentary at the worst times huh!! Jade would perhaps be more inclined to fire off a retort at him somewhat to this effect, even, except this whole position is pretty distracting as is. (Also trying to say anything with a pinched nose really does just turn out, horrifically nasally, no matter how much sarcasm one might try to dilute in it...so....maybe let's not keep doing that, actually--)

Fortunately it's only about roughly twenty more counted seconds before Clarke's (high unconventional) nose ministrations come to an end, though! ...And it seems like it actually did work, after all, when the compress is unceremoniously pulled out and dampness doesn't actually immediately follow for once. Which is...nice. Even if he feels like there was really, surely a better way to get to this point...! But it's an utterly awkward olive grove they're in now, for a fact, and at this point there's not much use in looking a gift olive in the mouth(????), so...]

Well--thank you. [Tinged rather more with exasperation than anything else, but at least he's not quip--] Bedside manner's not exactly your strong suit, is it? [--Ah, nevermind...look, it was pretty much obligate here! But anyway. Jade's making one more face for the road at the sinus-peering, and then promptly stepping back as soon as all seems said and done. To get some personal space reclaimed, you know--hands moving in an absentmindedly harried sort of fashion, to straighten the front of his shirt--while Clarke adds a bagel to the list, and he sighs.] ...Very well, then, a bagel too. Shall I assume you both prefer your coffees as black as your hearts?

[Well, regardless of the answers, he'll be stepping out the door pretty shortly after that point--because there's only a certain level of supreme awkward and teen brattiness that one can actually take, before getting some air out of the room just feels like the best option for the moment, especially with a prospect of future caffeine on hand. It won't be too long before he does actually return with coffees, either, despite all the sass with which Jade fielded the requests--because it's looking like it's going to be a pretty long night for all three of them, all told here...]

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