You Wouldn't Pirate a Big Brother

[19:46:06] * Mako is sitting in the galley, having a cup of tea and a sandwich. He's got some glorious Kantonese cartoons on the table, reading.
[19:49:08] <Melons> A wild Melons appeared! She was obviously walking much faster before entering the room by the sound of it, but slows down as she nearly trips over herself. Slowly, and lacking in any casualness, she stumbles through the room and sits catty-corner to Mako. Do people even still say that? Probably not. While saying nothing, every 3rd eye movement seems to be directed his way.
[19:50:37] * Mako turns a page, takes a sip of tea, and then sets the cup back down with a ~clink~. "Hey, Mel, can I help you?"
[19:52:20] <Melons> Her mouth opens and closes a few times, a rather impressive Magikarp impression to be sure, but ultimately she just makes a whiny sound while it's closed and stares at Mako with the most helpless expression possible until he directly looks at her.
[19:53:17] <Mako> "Mel, I'm divinely inspired now, but I'm not psychic, that's still you." Another page turn.
[19:54:34] <Melons> She takes a puff of her inhaler and takes a few deep breaths until she calms a bit. "...I think I'm dating Mirai..."
[19:55:53] <Mako> "You know she's like 12, yeah?"
[19:57:08] <Melons> "Sh-She's not that young! Right? I mean I know she isn't...I think she isn't...she isn't..."
[19:57:45] <Mako> "Nah, she's seventeen, so I can't technically report you for statutory."
[19:58:04] <Melons> "Thisisn'thelping!"
[19:58:30] * Mako closes his book and has some more tea. "Did you want help?"
[19:58:55] <Melons> "Helpwouldbenice!"
[19:59:51] <Mako> "Alright, what, specifically, do you need help with? It's not like I've ever dated a girl."
[20:00:39] <Melons> "Um...how do you date people...in general...or anything...or you know...like...romance...and stuff..."
[20:02:44] * Mako chews some sandwich while he thinks. "How about this, tell me what you think you should be doing first."
[20:05:59] <Melons> "Uuuuh..." She thinks for a bit. "...freaking out? Or is that the opposite of what I should be doing?"
[20:06:30] <Mako> "You can freak out a little."
[20:07:10] <Mako> "But, I mean like the point of dating is to get to know the other person better and try to build a 'trust-based relationship'." He air quotes for that.
[20:08:05] <Melons> "...Trust?...am I doomed? I'm doomed right? You know I'm not big on that. Hell I hardly even trust you and I trust you more than the others!"
[20:08:54] <Mako> "It's not like you have to pour your heart out to her immediately. I'd actually advise against that."
[20:09:57] <Melons> "...but that doesn't mean lie?"
[20:10:18] <Mako> "What? No."
[20:10:28] <Mako> "You can withhold information without lying."
[20:10:42] <Mako> "Well, the theoretical you can, I'm not sure about YOU specifically."
[20:10:46] <Melons> "Some people call that a lie by omission..."
[20:11:13] <Melons> "Or is this one of those things were everyone just pretends that doesn't apply?"
[20:12:52] * Mako scratches his head. "Just...be as honest as you feel comfortable with. And if she asks you something you don't want to answer, then be honest about not wanting to answer."
[20:14:12] <Melons> "Um...I guess you haven't known me much longer than her and if get that much about me m-maybe she does too? Does that mean I'm safe? Or is that worse?"
[20:14:51] <Mako> "The good news is that it means she probably does actually like you, for whatever reason."
[20:15:37] <Melons> "But that's another thing, I don't know what reason! Everyone else that ever asked me out or hit on me basically ran away or the equivalent shortly after I started talking...or I ran away...so..."
[20:17:28] <Mako> "That's terrible and explains a lot. But just like...don't worry too much about it. If she likes you, then she likes you. Just keep doing whatever it is you're doing."
[20:19:04] <Melons> "O-Okay...I guess...yeah, that makes sense...but um..." She quickly looks back and forth for signs of any other living being and drops to a whisper. "What about the whole being gay thing? Isn't that weird? I thought that was weird when I found about you...should I have lied and not said that? Is it not considered weird anymore?"
[20:20:16] * Mako gives Mel the Mako-frown. "It's -unusual-, you stupid Bidoof."
[20:22:12] <Melons> "Same thing! Does that mean I should hide it from other people?" She looks quite serious and a little afraid as opposed to usual dork-psycho Mel.
[20:24:29] * Mako shrugs. "I don't."
[20:24:59] <Mako> "Would you rather be real or be seen as normal?"
[20:25:22] <Melons> Mel contemplates long and hard. "...I don't understand the question..."
[20:26:08] <Melons> "Because it soooounds like you're trying to say weird people aren't real...but I don't think that's right..."
[20:27:54] <Mako> "I mean it's something you have to decide for yourself. I know you're not exactly the most open person, so if you don't want to broadcast it, then don't. I just don't think you should care that much about it."
[20:31:19] <Melons> She nods pensively. "Oh...huh...that...actually does help a lot, Mako...thank you..." The shade of a genuine smile starts to break through before a gasp turns it back to fright. "Ah!...I forgot...I maaaay have accidentally implied Lysandr was also..um...you know...to Med and Mirai...and uh...well...do you happen to know if he is or not? I may have given them the wrong impression when I mentioned the uh...the bar we went to..."
[20:32:09] * Mako shrugs. "I don't know. Not like he's come on to me or anything."
[20:33:13] <Melons> "...is that the kind of thing where I could just tell him directly that I fucked up?"
[20:35:14] <Mako> "Actually, yeah, you probably could."
[20:35:41] <Mako> "Just tell him that you told Med and Mirai that we went to a gay bar and you think you accidentally implied that he's gay AND that you're sorry."
[20:36:51] <Melons> She seems oddly excited about telling someone about her mistake but it's most likely that she's just happy for guessing a reasonable way to handle another person. "Thank you, Mako!...for uh...I guess everything actually...so far...this, the psychic stuff, being a coworker, even though you did fuck up that one time, uh...you know...so...do we hug now? Is that a thing?"
[20:37:36] * Mako sighs and stands up, but smiles a little. "Yes, we can hug now if you want to."
[20:40:56] <Melons> Mel gulps and stands up quickly, only hitting her knee on the table a little bit with minimal swearing, then approaches him for an incredibly clingy hug. "Hey uh...I don't have any siblings so...you're kind of like...you know..."
[20:42:20] * Mako puts his arms around Mel and pats her on the shoulder. "Well, I have a lot of them, but it's not like I couldn't use more."
[20:43:28] * Med walks in with a squad of hungry pokemon behind her, in search of LUNCHmaybe. It looks like she spends downtime training her mons? Woah. It's kind of goofy seeing a Melons and a Mako hug, in some ways, but she doesn't top and stare or anything. Hugging's good for you! What would even be embarassing about it? She doesn't understand the point of this supposedly perfectly timed
[20:43:28] * Med entrance at all!
[20:44:56] <Melons> Ohgodapeople! At the sound of Med's entrance, Melanie ducks down, hoping the mighty table will provide stealthy shelter.
[20:46:15] * Mako manages to let go of her enough that she doesn't drag him to the floor. He puts a hand on the back of his seat for balance. "I don't know what I expected, you were being people for too long."
[20:46:39] <Melons> "SSSSSSH, she'll hear you!" Med probably heard that too.
[20:46:45] <Med> "Huh? What's up?" she asks.
[20:46:53] <Melons> The table has failed her.
[20:47:32] <Mako> "Mel and I were just having a chat and now she's all embarrassed." He sits back down and opens up his book, Attack on Titania.
[20:48:52] <Med> "Oh, she gets embarassed super easily~ Sorry if I interrupted anything!"
[20:49:20] <Melons> "NOIDON'T!" She rises up from under the table. "...I do..." ;-;
[20:49:38] <Mako> "She does."
[20:49:40] * Med starts makin' lunch, delegating some of the lunch-making activities amongst her mons. It's probably adorable as fuck.
[20:50:49] <Mako> "How is psychic school going, by the way?"
[20:52:55] * Melons closes Mako's book without moving, well except for a grin.
[20:53:13] <Mako> "Good, then."
[20:53:19] <Melons> "Turns out I'm not actually very weird."
[20:53:32] <Melons> "So...nyah!" She sticks out her tongue.
[20:53:56] * Med giggles at mels o/~
[20:54:48] <Mako> "You're sort of a normal kind of weird, to be honest. You're not even that weird for people on this ship."
[20:55:17] * Med sudden depression ._.
[20:57:58] <Melons> "Hmmm...the dimwitted actor that didn't realize this wasn't a movie...the roboputergirl that's probably less socially-knowledgable than me...you were pretty boring until it turned out a god is in love with you...Med has crazy awesome aura things and the clothes thing and the crazy cool family...a crazy rules-obsessed teleporting ranger...a bear that thinks he's people...a Channeler...and an old drunk...I guess you're right!"
[20:58:48] <Melons> Ohgodshesaidcrazyatleastthreetimes.
[21:00:54] * Med is like, relieved that they don't really know the weird part about her, completely missing the point that the things Melons mentioned were supposed to be weird parts. Also in spite of the fact that them not knowing will probably end up very badly.
[21:03:57] <Melons> "But uh...alright so...thanks again Mako...and probably thank you too Med, you probably did SOMETHING earlier, I don't know...now I'm going to go..." Deep breath. "...spend time with my...girlfriend!" She runs off before her cheeks can betray her lack of actual confidence.
[21:04:23] <Med> "Good luuck!~"
[21:04:42] <Med> 5d6+6+2 cheerleader!
[21:04:43] <DiceMaid-9001> Med, cheerleader!: 25 [5d6=6,3,1,4,3]
[21:07:36] <Mako> "I'm not boring. And I don't have a god in love with me."
[21:08:22] <Med> "There's a god in love with you?" Med asks in spite of him just denying such.
[21:09:37] <Mako> "No! My family's patron deity asked me to investigate something for him, so I am."
[21:09:54] * Med blink
[21:09:57] <Med> "Patron deity?"
[21:11:25] <Mako> "Raijin, the god of thunder."
[21:11:38] <Mako> "Well, and Fujin was there, too."
[21:12:19] * Med blinkblinks, listening to Mako's story - it's probably pretty clear she has no idea even what.
[21:13:55] <Mako> "Oh, right. That day you guys did the contest, Mel, Les, and I went out shopping. We ended up having some dream smoke and -I- met Raijin and Fujin, which is why I can do stuff like this." He sends a little arc of electricity to his tea cup.
[21:14:16] <Med> "Do what?"
[21:14:57] * Mako pauses, then zaps Med instead.
[21:15:24] <Med> "Ow!"
[21:18:35] <Mako> "So, that's the story. If you wanna know what Mel and Les did, you can ask them."
[21:18:42] <Med> "Wait... you actually met a god? Gods actually exist?"
[21:21:07] <Mako> "I met them...metaphysically, I guess."
[21:21:23] <Mako> "But of course they're real."
[21:22:04] <Med> "What am I, then..." :c
[21:22:39] * Med sort of gathers her mons and their lunch efforts together so they can eat, a bit melancholic.
[21:22:53] <Mako> "You're our supernatural Scene Queen."
[21:23:02] <Mako> "Don't need to know anymore than that."
[21:25:47] * Med remains uncheered up. I mean, that's easy for Mako to say, he doesn't have to actually be her!
[21:27:22] <Mako> "Do you need life guidance, too? What's going on?"
[21:27:45] <Med> "Life guidance?" blinkblink
[21:28:16] <Mako> "I mean I just gave Mel advice and you're obviously feeling down about something, so what's up?"
[21:29:05] <Med> TOO BAD I DONT KNOW IF HER MACKERS PLAN WORKED OR NOT YET TO TELL IF SHE'D BE DOWN ABOUT THAT T_T
[21:29:39] <Med> "I just don't like our mission."
[21:29:45] <Med> "I can't stand them."
[21:30:19] <Mako> "Can you be a little more specific?"
[21:30:32] <Med> 5d6+6+2 it's not exactly scary or anything (that'd be intimidate) but this is how sure mako is that whatever med can't stand, she can't stand it
[21:30:33] <DiceMaid-9001> Med, it's not exactly scary or anything (that'd be intimidate) but this is how sure mako is that whatever med can't stand, she can't stand it: 22 [5d6=3,3,1,6,1]
[21:31:48] <Med> "The shadow pokemon."
[21:32:11] <Mako> "I don't like it either, but it's not like it's the Pokemon's fault."
[21:33:19] <Med> "I don't think I can handle another one..."
[21:34:06] <Mako> "Are they giving you some kind of aura feedback?"
[21:35:48] <Med> "Something like that..."
[21:38:17] <Mako> "Well, I don't know how to help with that. I'm trying to help mine get better so she can get fully purified, but I can only work so fast."
[21:39:22] <Med> "I should quit... when we get to Sepia, I should leave..." maximum moody
[21:40:07] <Mako> "I mean, if that's how you really feel, then alright."
[21:40:59] <Mako> "I just thought you'd rather save more Pokemon from becoming shadows than hide like that."
[21:41:39] * Med gives her lunch to one of her mons. probably chomps. chomps wont ask questions!
[21:43:00] <Med> "I, uh... when I was younger, there were... after my dad died, it... I don't want to go back to that, okay?!"
[21:44:17] <Mako> "I'm not gonna make you do anything." He drinks the rest of his now cold tea. "Just here to listen to whatever it is you want to say."
[21:47:28] <Med> oh god why is she even thinking about it, she needs to stop thinking about it, why couldn't she just forget, why do those things have to exist
[21:47:48] * Med is probably trembling and stuff.
[21:48:14] <~Aori_Radidjiu> Chomps doesn't ask questions!  nomf
[21:48:48] * Mako sighs and reaches over to try to take Med's hand. "Or don't say anything, whatever."
[21:51:41] <Med> ohgod what's he doing
[21:52:39] <Mako> 5d6+11 Charming Mako
[21:52:40] <DiceMaid-9001> Mako, Charming Mako: 29 [5d6=2,5,5,2,4]
[21:52:59] * Med doesnt really know how to react. like, deer in headlights. unless he said that in like the KINDEST VOICE EVER rather than a oh god why do i have to be the ship psychiatrist
[21:53:05] <Mako> "Just relax. Whatever's got you so wound up can't be worth freaking out like this, yeah?"
[21:56:46] * Med inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale
[21:57:07] <Med> 3d6+6+2 focus!
[21:57:07] <DiceMaid-9001> Med, focus!: 17 [3d6=1,2,6]
[21:57:42] * Med manages to collect herself somehow, although probably not quite as well if she had rolled an 18! 18 is a standard DC I think? it probably is.
[21:59:42] <Mako> A standard really high DC, though.
[21:59:49] <Mako> "See? Feeling better?"
[22:00:12] <Med> she probably gets racial penalties out the ass :c
[22:02:52] <Med> "I was a walking corpse for six years of my life."
[22:03:22] <Mako> "You mean like an actual corpse? Seeing that your dad is currently a ghost and all."
[22:03:38] <Med> "I don't know."
[22:04:34] <Mako> "Mmmm, then what happened before those six years? Like, something for a turning point?"
[22:06:34] <Med> "My dad died, my mom left with my little sister, and I got separated from half of my family."
[22:08:09] <Mako> "I can see how that'd be pretty traumatizing."
[22:09:21] <Mako> "And, weirdly, how it could explain you feeling weird around shadow Pokemon."
[22:14:16] <Mako> "Sounds like maybe however their hearts get closed, something similar happened to you, maybe? So there's a resonance."
[22:21:22] <Med> "I don't know... maybe Professor Blacktree knows more..."
[22:21:55] <Mako> "Maybe. Something you could ask him, right?"
[22:22:16] <Med> "Yeah."
[22:22:23] * Med calls him right now.
[22:22:44] * Med most likely gets some whimsical voice mail message.
[22:26:31] <~Aori_Radidjiu> "Hello~!  Blacktree here!  I am busy with a stroll, which you might think is quite droll, but men are strange in the things they must do to satisfy themselves!  You may leave a message and I may get back to you, or I may not!  Who knows!"
[22:28:23] * Mako look at Med's phone, waiting.
[22:28:40] <Med> "Hi. My coworker wanted to know if you knew what happened to me nine years ago. He asked if it was similar to the Shadow Pokemon we're hunting."
[22:29:12] <Med> "Something about hearts being closed. You probably know more already anyway. Thanks. Bye."
[22:32:15] <Mako> "Well, hopefully he'll get back to you then."
[22:35:22] <Med> "I want to go lie down... I feel kind of sick..."
[21:29:39] <Med> "I just don't like our mission."
[21:29:45] <Med> "I can't stand them."
[21:30:19] <Mako> "Can you be a little more specific?"
[21:30:32] <Med> 5d6+6+2 it's not exactly scary or anything (that'd be intimidate) but this is how sure mako is that whatever med can't stand, she can't stand it
[21:30:33] <DiceMaid-9001> Med, it's not exactly scary or anything (that'd be intimidate) but this is how sure mako is that whatever med can't stand, she can't stand it: 22 [5d6=3,3,1,6,1]
[21:31:48] <Med> "The shadow pokemon."
[21:32:11] <Mako> "I don't like it either, but it's not like it's the Pokemon's fault."
[21:33:19] <Med> "I don't think I can handle another one..."
[21:34:06] <Mako> "Are they giving you some kind of aura feedback?"
[21:35:48] <Med> "Something like that..."
[21:38:17] <Mako> "Well, I don't know how to help with that. I'm trying to help mine get better so she can get fully purified, but I can only work so fast."
[21:39:22] <Med> "I should quit... when we get to Sepia, I should leave..." maximum moody
[21:40:07] <Mako> "I mean, if that's how you really feel, then alright."
[21:40:59] <Mako> "I just thought you'd rather save more Pokemon from becoming shadows than hide like that."
[21:41:39] * Med gives her lunch to one of her mons. probably chomps. chomps wont ask questions!
[21:43:00] <Med> "I, uh... when I was younger, there were... after my dad died, it... I don't want to go back to that, okay?!"
[21:44:17] <Mako> "I'm not gonna make you do anything." He drinks the rest of his now cold tea. "Just here to listen to whatever it is you want to say."
[21:47:28] <Med> oh god why is she even thinking about it, she needs to stop thinking about it, why couldn't she just forget, why do those things have to exist
[21:47:48] * Med is probably trembling and stuff.
[21:48:14] <~Aori_Radidjiu> Chomps doesn't ask questions!  nomf
[21:48:48] * Mako sighs and reaches over to try to take Med's hand. "Or don't say anything, whatever."
[21:51:41] <Med> ohgod what's he doing
[21:52:39] <Mako> 5d6+11 Charming Mako
[21:52:40] <DiceMaid-9001> Mako, Charming Mako: 29 [5d6=2,5,5,2,4]
[21:52:59] * Med doesnt really know how to react. like, deer in headlights. unless he said that in like the KINDEST VOICE EVER rather than a oh god why do i have to be the ship psychiatrist
[21:53:05] <Mako> "Just relax. Whatever's got you so wound up can't be worth freaking out like this, yeah?"
[21:56:46] * Med inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale
[21:57:07] <Med> 3d6+6+2 focus!
[21:57:07] <DiceMaid-9001> Med, focus!: 17 [3d6=1,2,6]
[21:57:42] * Med manages to collect herself somehow, although probably not quite as well if she had rolled an 18! 18 is a standard DC I think? it probably is.
[21:59:42] <Mako> A standard really high DC, though.
[21:59:49] <Mako> "See? Feeling better?"
[22:00:12] <Med> she probably gets racial penalties out the ass :c
[22:02:52] <Med> "I was a walking corpse for six years of my life."
[22:03:22] <Mako> "You mean like an actual corpse? Seeing that your dad is currently a ghost and all."
[22:03:38] <Med> "I don't know."
[22:04:34] <Mako> "Mmmm, then what happened before those six years? Like, something for a turning point?"
[22:06:34] <Med> "My dad died, my mom left with my little sister, and I got separated from half of my family."
[22:08:09] <Mako> "I can see how that'd be pretty traumatizing."
[22:09:21] <Mako> "And, weirdly, how it could explain you feeling weird around shadow Pokemon."
[22:14:16] <Mako> "Sounds like maybe however their hearts get closed, something similar happened to you, maybe? So there's a resonance."
[22:21:22] <Med> "I don't know... maybe Professor Blacktree knows more..."
[22:21:55] <Mako> "Maybe. Something you could ask him, right?"
[22:22:16] <Med> "Yeah."
[22:22:23] * Med calls him right now.
[22:22:44] * Med most likely gets some whimsical voice mail message.
[22:26:31] <~Aori_Radidjiu> "Hello~!  Blacktree here!  I am busy with a stroll, which you might think is quite droll, but men are strange in the things they must do to satisfy themselves!  You may leave a message and I may get back to you, or I may not!  Who knows!"
[22:28:23] * Mako look at Med's phone, waiting.
[22:28:40] <Med> "Hi. My coworker wanted to know if you knew what happened to me nine years ago. He asked if it was similar to the Shadow Pokemon we're hunting."
[22:29:12] <Med> "Something about hearts being closed. You probably know more already anyway. Thanks. Bye."
[22:32:15] <Mako> "Well, hopefully he'll get back to you then."
[22:35:22] <Med> "I want to go lie down... I feel kind of sick..."
[22:36:32] <Mako> "Probably not a bad idea. Have some tea if your stomach doesn't settle down."
[22:37:14] * Med exit kitchen~ goes to lie down in her room~ some of her pokemon probably follow her~
[22:52:38] <~Aori_Radidjiu> </mini>