melodiesoflife | log for September

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log for September

[Since the incident with Palitutu, Johnny hasn't been seen around much. Normally a fixture in the 3rd district playing music for the tourists, or seated on a barstool in one of several bars, he seems to have abandoned his usual haunts. Pretty unusual for a guy who is hardly ever home normally.

After the Heroes spared Palitutu, Johnny spit some disparaging words at them as a whole, and stormed off. Since then, he's been avoiding everyone. He's mad at the Heroes, at Palitutu, at Crystallis, everything. He has nowhere to go with all of his anger and disappointment. He wanted to like this place. And it was easy at first, too, considering where Johnny had come from before this. But Crystallis has shown itself to be just another miserable, dying pit, just like Exsilium.

Things aren't even good at home for him, since he's felt a bit awkward around Reno since returning from the trip to Atia. He felt like the third wheel in Reno's life, despite the fact that the other person was on another world.

Tonight, though, he can be found by anyone who might be passing by one of the city's western walls. Johnny would often climb up there for some star gazing, or just some alone time. Often, though, he's not alone for long. Since it's a lovely fall evening, he's up there now, watching the stars and clouds go by as he nurses one of several beers he brought along. Someone's bound to catch him up there sooner or later.]

[[ooc - Technically I'm on hiatus so I might be a little slow through this weekend. Sorry!]]

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[There aren't too many horned silhouettes in Crystallis, right? Johnny likes Duster, but he does hesitate for a moment before shaking his head.]

Nah, man. Go right ahead. If yer lookin' for a drink, better get one before I finish 'em off.

[There are only two beers left in his pack of six, so he's probably been up here for awhile.]

[Duster steps up to the beer pack and sits, kneeling onto the stone surface before moving his other leg down. He picks up a bottle by the cap.]

Thanks.

[He lifts the hem of his shirt and, wrapping his fingers in the cloth, twists off the cap.]

Can't sleep?

[Johnny shook his head.]

Nah. But that's normal. Some nights yer brain just don't wanna shut off, I guess.

[The booze helps a little with that.]

'N sitting up here is as close as gettin' away without leaving the city, y'know?

I get you. Used to happen to me a lot. [He holds the bottle to his mouth.] Walks helped me a lot when I was younger.

[The beer's not too bad. Duster's not the biggest fan, but it does the job.]

Yeah, I do go for jogs a lot. Sometimes that works. But I really miss--

[He stops for a moment because he's not sure what the level of tech was like where Duster was from. Johnny mimes like he's putting in earbuds.]

I miss headphones. 'N my iPod. They got those where yer from? Personal music players?

[Duster eyes his hands curiously. Putting something into his ears, like earplugs? But Johnny called them phones, which are bulky and rectangular. Unless they built them to be even smaller. That still doesn't makes sense when he takes into account that phones don't play music.]

...No...

[If someone wants to listen to music, they were stuck having everyone else in the room listening and judging their tastes.]

Is it like a small radio?

[Johnny smirks a little. How many times has he had to explain normal things to home from people between Exsilium and Crystallis? It was always harder than it should be.]

Kinda. But they're kinda like, tiny little computers meant for playin' music and videos and stuff. And instead 'a speakers, you basically have personal ones ya put over or in yer ears to listen to it. I dunno how much it's worth explainin'. But I miss it. Great way to zone out, y'know? Music playing right into yer head.

They get computers so small? [It's almost incredulous, like a magic crystal that can store songs.] The ones here are the smallest I've ever seen.

[Technology can be astounding, he thinks to himself as he takes another go at the beer. It's not always a good thing, but when it is, its incredible.]

Must make it easy to listen to something late at night.

Even smaller than that, man. But yeah, it was great. Took it with me everywhere. In Exsilium we had these crazy amazing tablet computer things. They pretty much did everything you could think of. But all I wanted was access to my music collection from home.

[He shrugs. It seems pretty silly in retrospect.]

Maybe if this world doesn't get eaten up by crystal, I can tell the brainiacs about this kinda stuff and see what they can come up with. Music recording needs to be a thing here already.

I'm sure they'll have time eventually.

[Eventually. He's certain. As long as they assume that the crystallization will end, they can look forward to a future. One where the scientists among them can build headphones and telephone systems and personal music players.]

Yeah. Hope so.

{He sighs heavily and takes a long drink.]

Sorry that I ain't exactly pleasant company tonight. Then again, ain't sure I ever am anymore.

[Duster shrugs, not looking particularly bothered.]

I don't mind. It's good enough not to be alone.

[He sets the beer bottle aside and leans back, the palms of his hands supporting his weight.] You know, I never sat up here to watch the stars before.

I'm up here a lot. It's like gettin' away without going anywhere.

[He gazes up again for a few moments, looking tired.]

I still don't know too many constellations here, but I never knew many back home either. Could't really see stars in Manhattan. Only ever got to see them whenever we bothered to leave the city.

[Duster nods. Even the lights of Club Titioo were enough to drown out the light of the stars, and New Pork City erased them completely.]

...You liked it better there?

[Since he came from a small town, he liked being able to see the stars. Crystallis wasn't so bad of a change for him, but to Johnny? Duster doesn't find much appeal in gigantic cities (unless they normally were nicer that the one he visited), but they're home for Johnny.]

What, back home?

[That's a complicated question, and for a moment he seems to search for an answer.]

Only parts of it, I guess. But, for the most part, I'm better off not bein' there anymore. Crystallis is better for me. Even if it is fallin' apart.

Really? Why not?

[Duster takes another swig from the bottle.]

Is it that bad?

[He looks away, looking a little uncomfortable. he thought by now he'd be okay with talking about all of this, since it all seems so long ago and far away. But being a walking abomination never really wears off.]

Uh, the long story short is that I shouldn't even exist according to... a lotta powerful people. Ones who were out to kill me. Mostly demons. I don't exactly get treated like a normal person here, but it's way better than runnin' and fightin' for my life all the time.

...So that's not normal where you're from? [He points at Johnny's ears.] I thought there were a lot more people like you.

[He holds up the finger for one more second before retracting it and planting it on the floor.]

Sorry, I didn't mean to be rude. It's just...it's hard to imagine people wanting to kill you, you know? You're an okay guy.

[Johnny frowns a little, but doesn't really seem offended. He shakes his head.]

Everyone where I come from is human. On the outside anyway. There're demons, obviously, but even they can hide to look like humans. Not me.

[Johnny did have various cosmetic changes he could have taken back home to fit in better. Contacts, veneers, makeup, hair dye. But Johnny refused without ever telling his family why.]

I ain't an okay guy. But even if I was a proverbial saint in everything I said 'n did, it wouldn't matter, cuz I'm half demon. I'm... an abomination. [That last word comes out heavily, wearily.]

Here, I thought I could be just another weird-lookin' Hero. Then I got jumped in Downopolis, 'n some asshole gangsters literally tried to sell me. But you know what? I'd still take this place over bein' hunted at home, my family threatened. Yeah, someone's out to kill Heroes, to fuck with us, but at least it ain't me specifically.

Huh...

[Duster takes in the knowledge nodding. Strange, but nothing too out there. Non-humans that look human? Those exist on the Nowhere Islands. Demons? Probably don't exist there.]

Half demon? Like your parents were demon and human? [Not like what he supposed it means: a chimera made partially from a demon.]

[He nods slowly.] Yeah. Mom's human, dad's a demon. I never knew him, though. Until... there was somethin' that happened here awhile back. Where we got to experience the previous cycle. My mom 'n dad were both here then, together.

[He looked distant saying this, still not understanding all of that. But getting to see his father was never what he thought it was going to be. Esteban was so... reasonable and chill for an incubus.]

Don't ask me too much about that, though. I still don't really get that whole thing. But I guess it was good to meet him, in a weird way.

I only got the time 'n ebnergy to look forward

[Duster bites his lip and looks into the distance. He heard about something like that from Zelda. Something about recalling those from their own worlds who participated in the last cycle.]

Yeah, I got you. Must have been weird, too.

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