Interlude E - "Decision"

Cast Appearing:
Johnathan & Haylee
Session Start: Wed Oct 27 23:23:03 1999

Mining City Zaback, Warehouse

<TheStoryteller> Haylee shifts uncomfortably on the canvas layed down on the floor.. a lot on her mind keeping her from drifting off.
* Johnathan is sitting up against the wall of the warehouse, fiddling with something he's holding in his hands, trying to also keep watch at the same time.
* Haylee blehs and shifts again...and again...and again, and then finally gives up and sits up, rubbing her eyes.
* Haylee glances over at John.
* Haylee stands up and tiptoes to him, sitting next to him while he's working. "What are you doing? :)"
* Johnathan glances up, and smiles wryly. "Oh.. just playing around with a few ideas.."
<Haylee> Oh...really?
<Haylee> What kind of ideas? ^_^
<Haylee> I thought you were gonna be Death?
<TheStoryteller> You two notice everyone else is fast asleep, costume materials strewn about after a very creative evening.
* Johnathan gestures at the little collection of.. rocks?.. that he's holding, which are partially in the form of a hand. "Yep. But I felt the need to elaborate.."
* Haylee chuckles. "^_^ That's cool...maybe if you made the hands transparent...."
* Johnathan frowns. "Hrm.."
<Johnathan> ...might be able to. Just holding them together will be hard enough, though.
<Haylee> Maybe if you taped them to your own hands...
* Johnathan smiles. "It's a thought."
* Haylee hrms. "Are you...super involved in your costume....so involved that maybe...you could stop for a moment?"
* Johnathan sets the partial hand down. "Sure, I can stop.. what's on your mind?"
<Haylee> Well...I just wanted to talk to you...about...some things...You know? I haven't talked to you in such a long time...
<Johnathan> Sure.. have a seat..
* Johnathan gestures towards the floor. "Comfy as it is.."
* Haylee grins and sits down. "Well...first...I apologize for my really annoying behavior the last few days."
<Haylee> I've had a lot on my mind...and when I have a lot on my mind...I get really bad mood swings.
<Johnathan> Oh.. don't worry about it..
* Haylee smiles. "Thanks..."
* Johnathan shrugs a little. "I understand.. we've all had a lot going on.."
<Haylee> No kidding...it's only gonna get worse too...
<Johnathan> ..oh?
<Haylee> Yeah...I mean...we're going up against the strongest members of organized crime.
<Haylee> It's BOUND to get worse.
<Haylee> But I'll be ready for it...hopefully.
<Haylee> And you? Are you better?
* Johnathan nods. "You might be right... I donno. I don't have the same personal stake that so many do.."
<Johnathan> ..am I better?
<Haylee> Yeah, you weren't really sure if you wanted to go on...Is that still true?
* Johnathan closes his eyes. "I know I don't... all the fighting.. what's the point? I mean.. this gang, sure.. the others could need my help, and these people need stopped.. but beyond that.."
* Haylee sighs. "Well...I can see what you mean...I'm going onward because I have to discover the truth for myself..."
<Johnathan> Who's to say THIS is the route to truth?
<Haylee> If the Church is right or not...
<Haylee> Well...I'm not going to find it out by just sitting on my fanny...besides...
* Haylee sighs. "I've got nowhere else to go."
* Johnathan opens his eyes again. "...yeah... neither do I, really."
<Haylee> I can't go back to my Aunt and Uncle...
<Haylee> Not after what they did...
* Johnathan grins briefly. "I'd offer to let you come back with me, but whatever's left of my hometown wants to hang me, after all..."
* Haylee sighs. "Yeah...I don't understand why they would..."
<Haylee> Heretic doesn't fit you at all...It really doesn't.
<Johnathan> Oh?
<Haylee> Yeah...I mean...
<Haylee> When your magic goes arwy like it does, you never mean to hurt anyone.
<Johnathan> Well.. just using it at all is enough to gain the 'heretic' label..
<Haylee> ..and even though you have those occasional misshaps...You've gotten so much better at it...it could really benefit people someday...and people want to kill you for that. :/ It doesn't seem fair to me.
<Johnathan> It's not even the church's rules.. it's Vane's...
<Johnathan> ..weren't they supposedly set up per Althena's instructions, the guild's rules?
<Haylee> I honestly don't know...
<Haylee> More than likely, it's Vane's own rules...
<Haylee> People fear what they don't know...and they don't know your type of magic...so they fear you...
<Johnathan> Maybe there's a good reason it's forbidden, though...
<Haylee> Is there any record of anyone else using this magic?
<Johnathan> I only know of one other recorded case... maybe others have without getting caught..
<Haylee> What happened with that other recorded case? Do you know about him personally?
* Johnathan shakes his head. "He was hung.. that's all I know. Don't even have a name.. it was centuries ago."
<Haylee> Hmm....
<Haylee> That won't happen to you. I won't let it. :)
<Johnathan> I'm touched. I'd much rather be burned at the stake anyway...
<Haylee> I'd much rather you be alive and well. :)
* Johnathan grins. "...just kidding, of course."
<Haylee> I hope so! ^-^
<Haylee> Anyway...I guess I gotta keep going because I'll find out if my truth is the right truth one way or another...
<Haylee> Besides...I've gotten attached to some of the people here....almost everyone...I owe them a lot.
<Johnathan> Good luck, Haylee.. maybe you'll find that truth..
<Haylee> I'd like it if you came with me... But it's your decision...and I can't force you to stay.
* Johnathan sighs.
<Haylee> It's your decision. Don't let me influence you...
<Haylee> ..Gah. Now I sound pouty. Sorry.
* Johnathan chuckles. "Haylee.. you're going to be the deciding influence either way, I think."
<Haylee> ...I am?
* Johnathan nods. "On the one hand.. you want me to stay.."
<Johnathan> ..on the other..
<Johnathan> ..well.. the church was saying something about the four people.. and they seemed to want to bring us all together..
<Haylee> ...That's one of the truths I want to find out about.
<Johnathan> ...so I'm wondering if maybe the best thing we can do is keep the four of us as far away from each other as we can.
<Haylee> And...I have a feeling they'd find us anyway.
<Haylee> Best to stick together and protect each other as best we can. Running away from our problems solves nothing...
<Johnathan> Running away from..
* Johnathan sighs again.
* Haylee hugs John. "It'll work out one way or another..."
<Johnathan> ...will it really... I don't know.. I hope so, but..
* Haylee smiles. "Hey...c'mon...smile. Even if things look down, I'll always be here as your support...remember that."
* Johnathan smiles, but its obviously forced. "Right.."
<Haylee> ...There's something else I have to talk to you about...
<Haylee> It's either going to make you feel better...or more constricted...
* Johnathan looks at Haylee, the smile fading. "...oh?"
<Haylee> ...Yeah...
<Haylee> I...um...made my decision...that's why I really wanted to talk to you...
<Johnathan> Your decisi-... oh...
* Johnathan nods slowly.
<Haylee> Yeah...
* Haylee glances at Tahn for a moment. "It took me a while...I really didn't want to hurt any of you when I made my decision...I still don't...But...I've watched both you and Tahn...and have you been noticing how Tahn's been acting lately?"
* Johnathan nods slowly. "..odd, you mean?"
<Haylee> Yeah...not just odd...but unpredictable...
<Haylee> Like with the gangsters tonight. He wanted to kill them...
<Johnathan> Yeah.. he's...
<Johnathan> I... I don't mean to be putting him down.. but he worries me. I'm not sure..
<Haylee> Yeah...and I still like him as a friend...but I know now that I don't feel safe when I'm around him.
<Haylee> I feel...safe around you.
* Johnathan raises an eyebrow. "...you do?"
<Haylee> Yeah...You're kind to me...funny...smart...
* Johnathan smiles slightly. "Haylee.. _I_ don't feel safe around me.. but thanks.."
<Haylee> Oh come on!
<Haylee> Magic aside...
<Haylee> You're a wonderful person. Never think differently.
<Haylee> Er...that sounded bad.
<Haylee> What I mean is don't think of yourself as an unsafe person. And once you understand your magic...that will become safe as well.
* Johnathan laughs. "Magic aside.. no.. I like how you put it the first time.."
<Haylee> When a scientist experiments...with chemicals...some combinations might be "unsafe". But once he experiments enough...then he'll know what combinations benefit others...
* Haylee blushes. "Ah...okay....^^;"
<Haylee> Anyway...
<Haylee> You know how I feel about you. I don't know if that's changed for you though...
* Johnathan smiles, a genuine one this time. "Oh.."
<Johnathan> Well.. nothing stays the same...
<Johnathan> ..but I'd say it hasn't changed all THAT much..
* Haylee smiles back, widely. "^_^ John..."
* Johnathan chuckles softly. "You realize this is the first private conversation we've had... ever, I think?"
<Haylee> ...Yeah...My god...You're right...!
* Haylee hugs him. "Here's to plenty more, eh? ^_^"
* Johnathan laughs, returning the hug. "Hope so."
<Haylee> Oh...!
<Haylee> Close your eyes...please? :)
* Johnathan blinks. "Close my... er.. sure, why not?"
* Johnathan closes his eyes.
* Haylee places something round and smooth in his hand.
<Haylee> ^_^ Open them...
* Johnathan opens them back up.
<TheStoryteller> John finds a shiny, black stone...polished to perfection.
<Haylee> It's a magic stone that adds strength. I thought you'd want it... :)
* Johnathan smiles. "Ah.. hey, thanks.. could come in handy."
<Johnathan> I hate to admit it, but I'm not exactly the most robust person in this little group... or even the second.. or.. um.. seventh, for that matter.
* Haylee fingers the necklace John gave her. "So a part of me will always be with you...no matter how far you might be. :)"
<Haylee> Hey, neither am I. :)
* Johnathan looks down at it. "...I'm touched."
<Haylee> I'm glad you like it... :)
* Haylee snuggles up to him. ^_^
<Haylee> . o O ( Hope I'm not moving too fast. He might not be a snuggle type guy. o_o )
* Johnathan puts an arm around Haylee's shoulders, his eyes going distant.
* Haylee blinks. "John? Something up?"
<Johnathan> I just..
<Haylee> You know you can tell me anything...
* Johnathan smiles, looking at Haylee. "..have a decision to make myself.. or had, anyway."
<Haylee> Oh? You mean if you're going to stay? Or go...
* Johnathan nods. "Exactly.."
<Haylee> ...Had? You mean you made it?
<Johnathan> Yeah...
<Johnathan> ...I think I have something to keep fighting for after all.. I'll stay.
<Haylee> Really? I'm glad to hear that...! What is it?
* Johnathan closes his eyes, smiling. "Think about it."
* Haylee hugs John closer. "Thank you....I'm really touched...But...be careful..."
* Johnathan nods. "Of course.. and you too.. I'll be looking out for you, Haylee.. and I'm sure I can trust you to do the same.."
<Haylee> Of course...
<Johnathan> Someone who's opinion I value said it was.. 'Best to stick together and protect each other..'
* Johnathan grins. "I think she may have been right after all.."
* Haylee grins, and hugs John even closer. "^_^ Hmmm..."
<Johnathan> It's gonna be a long day tomorrow, Haylee.. you might want to get some rest..
* Johnathan doesn't make any particular move to let her go, though.
<Haylee> Yeah...
<Haylee> I dunno though...I'm very happy here... ^_^
<Haylee> Extrodinarily happy...
* Johnathan smiles. "Then go ahead and sleep right where you are, when you feel like it... I certainly don't mind."
<Haylee> You sure? What about your costume?
<Johnathan> Oh, I just have a few things to piece together.
<Johnathan> ..nothing I can't do in the morning.
* Haylee smiles. "Then I don't mind at all if you don't mind..."
* Haylee curls up against John's chest and closes her eyes.
* Johnathan gently wraps his arms around her. "Sleep well, Haylee..."
<Haylee> You too...
* Haylee falls asleep, breathing softly... ^_^
* Johnathan looks up again, smiling as he goes back to keeping watch.

~~ END Interlude ~~

Session Close: Thu Oct 28 00:56:11 1999