The Meloning

[14:22:54] <Aori_Radidjiu> So.  Mirai eventually leaves Luna's room and lets you know that she's awake now.
[14:25:46] <Melons> Melanie lifts her head from its comfortable resting place of lying in the middle of various scattered notes and doodles. One of them seems to be Po leading the Sableye gang in a battle with Lesieli's Stooges for control of the pantry. It takes a bit for the information to really set in as she stands up to stretch and enters Luna's room.
[14:28:15] <Aori_Radidjiu> Luna's in her bed, she's got a nightgown on now.  Mistral's in the room, by the window.  When you come in, she ZOOPS out, by Luna's door.  "I'll be around~"
[14:31:36] <Melons> Mel checks out the door, quietly closing it behind Mistral. She puts her hands over her face and siiiiiiighs.
[14:32:56] <Aori_Radidjiu> Luna shifts to have her feet over the side of her bed, sitting on it.  "Hey."
[14:35:49] <Melons> Briefly considering that Luna actually died and everyone else on the boat is Weekend At Bernie'sing her to avoid shattering her mind, Melanie is able to disregard the possibility as only she would consider doing that. She moves her hands slightly to peer out at Luna and slides down to the ground against the door. The exposed eye is quite clearly red and puffy.
[14:37:12] <Aori_Radidjiu> She gets up to sit next to you and doesn't say anything.
[14:39:12] <Melons> After sitting in silence for a few more minutes, Melanie is able to choke out a few words with frequent cracks. "So...aside from how shitty everything is...how are you feeling?"
[14:39:47] <Aori_Radidjiu> "...mostly tired."
[14:41:18] <Melons> That sounds like something having less blood than you should would do. Mel slides her head onto Luna's shoulder. "What...happened...exactly? After I left?"
[14:45:24] <Aori_Radidjiu> "I got...well.  Incredibly lonely.  Everything felt so dull and...awful.  I just...wanted to feel something, because I didn't feel like I was alive.  So I tried taking a nice bath and it didn't actually feel so nice, it just felt...like water, y'know.  And then I remembered I could feel like something by cutting myself up, so I did, and it felt...well, good isn't right, but it was
[14:45:24] <Aori_Radidjiu> something.  It was...nice."
[14:46:31] <Aori_Radidjiu> "And then I wondered if I should really be here, so I figured...oh, I'd let myself bleed out for a good long while.  So I took a nap to see if I'd wake up or not~"
[14:48:13] <Melons> Ha! I was right! She IS a crazy fucker! ...Why is there no cathartic orgasm like there usually is when I'm right? "...I'm probably not supposed to say this in a situation like this, but you know you're dumb as fuck, right?"
[14:51:01] <Aori_Radidjiu> "Oh, I've been told that, yes."
[14:52:58] <Melons> "What? By who?!" Her hands drop from her face, revealing a thin trail of snot that she quickly notices and tries to awkwardly rub off on the floor.
[14:54:05] <Aori_Radidjiu> "Oh, my parents, my brother, plenty of other people.  That I'm just...well, not good enough, or just not worth being interested in, or...well, anything, really."
[14:58:59] <Melons> Melanie is pretty sure the drive to challenge someone to a pokemon battle and beat them so bad that their pokemon literally die is not what actually motivated most people to get into the whole league thing when they were younger, but she has never wanted to challenge/strangle a member of the elite four more than now. "They aren't people. They are subhuman. I was just saying it because you made me mad. And sad. Is there a
[14:58:59] <Melons> word for being both of those things? It seems like there should be a word for being both of those things. But really I mean you have a fucking successful show thing, and we've both communicated with a fucking god in his own domain, pretty sure a slack-jawed junkslut fuckwit couldn't do that."
[15:02:04] <Aori_Radidjiu> "I guess."  She stares at the ceiling now, hugging her legs to her chest.
[15:03:06] <Melons> "So I uh...heard...that you did this before..."
[15:03:41] <Aori_Radidjiu> "Yeah."
[15:03:56] <Melons> "...another breakup?"
[15:04:41] <Aori_Radidjiu> "Not really.  I just...I was just frustrated with everything."
[15:05:23] <Melons> "...did you survive?" It isn't quite clear whether it's a joke or if she's trying to make sure she isn't seeing dead people. The small hint of a smirk implies the former.
[15:05:47] <Aori_Radidjiu> "...somehow."
[15:06:18] <Melons> "...you're a lot more like me than I thought."
[15:10:01] <Aori_Radidjiu> "...I guess."
[15:13:00] <Melons> This would be a fantastic plot by Aether: a murder-suicide now would be the perfect timing as far as not leaving a trail back to them goes. "...I'm uh...not really going to do the whole god thing anymore. Not related to...this whole thing...but the idea of being an enslaved queen bee is terrifying. So...I guess there's that...oh, we bought some cool stuff from a dude that once took pictures of me modelling because Kalili
[15:13:00] <Melons> is a bitch and this is all wildly inappropriate to bring up right now and I don't know what I'm saying." Melanie facepalms her own actions.
[15:19:05] <Aori_Radidjiu> "Is that so..."
[15:19:17] <Aori_Radidjiu> "I guess I can help you with that if you need any..."
[15:22:21] <Aori_Radidjiu> "Er, the ungody thing, that is."
[15:22:30] <Melons> Melanie suddenly sits upright, facing Luna. Words spew forth from her mouth, at a speed only one familiar with Melspeak would understand. "Listen! I get it. I know everything sucks. Like always and forever, forward and back, there's a grey haze over everything, and occasionally it clears up and you try to get a good look only for it to come back darker than before. I know I fucked up. I liked you. I want to leave because
[15:22:30] <Melons> I didn't want to fuck another thing up. I still like you. So...can we be there for each other to try to make every day less shitty?"
[15:24:32] <Melons> *wanted
[15:27:22] <Aori_Radidjiu> "...okay I guess."
[15:29:15] <Melons> Mel staaaaaares at her. "...no, that's the grey and melancholic way. Louder and less Mel-like. If you're going to be mopey, at LEAST mope in your own flavor."
[15:31:55] <Aori_Radidjiu> She looks up at you, more directly, with eye contact, and speaks.  "Okay, I'll accept your offer to be there for each other when you weren't even there for me when we were in a relationship, because that's something I can totally trust you with."
[15:35:23] <Melons> Ow...that one hurts. Deep.  Mel turns to lean against the door again, dejected. She mumbles in flat tones. "That's...that's not fair...I thought I was helping...thought I was a burden on you..."
[15:47:29] <Aori_Radidjiu> "Yeah, totally helping when you started actively avoiding me.  Totally helping when you start flirting with some other girl you just met without talking to me.  Totally helping when you push me away and go do other things on your own."  She stands up now, keeping her eyes on you.  "Just like my parents were 'totally' encouraging me when I went to perform in drama and dance by helping
[15:47:29] <Aori_Radidjiu> to pay for it, but never actually showed up or showed any real interest.  Just like my brother was 'helping' me by setting me up with his friend who drugged me and had his way with me, and then my brother congratulated him when he told him that he scored with me.  Just like my fucking fans who all say they love me but really just want me as an object to look at and play with like a
[15:47:29] <Aori_Radidjiu> toy.  They don't care what I want, they just want to 'appease' me so I'll do convenient shit for them.  Just like you did, you started this shit because you wanted someone else to please you and make you happy, and I thought you'd do the same for me back, but no, you just wanted something without having to work for it.  Just like you did to Mirai, I asked her why you were ignoring
[15:47:29] <Aori_Radidjiu> me and she told me that you pulled this shit on her, the second SHE had specific wants in the relationship and told you no for something, you broke it off because you can't be bothered to actually CARE for someone back.  People like you are why I'm so fucked up and I just..."  She clenches her fists.  "I don't want to see you right now."
[15:52:02] <Melons> She stares up at Luna, eyes wide. "...no, keep going."
[15:54:37] <Aori_Radidjiu> She grabs a Nymph Ball off her night stand.  "I'm really not in the mood for talking anymore."
[16:03:23] <Melons> Melanie takes a puff of her inhaler and stands up. "...I know I fucked up. I get that. I am not denying it. I feel bad about it. I don't know how to deal with people. It isn't an excuse, it's simply a fact. I've hardly had normal friends, and then I found Mirai hitting on me. I didn't somehow magically get this information. I tried to figure people out...not in the logical ways one would do that, but I did try. And I got
[16:03:23] <Melons> scared. I didn't know what to do so I basically fled from her, but in a shitty way. Then I met you. If you remember, I didn't want a relationship at first, you pushed me into it. I didn't suddenly figure things out. Again, yes I'm a shitlord and my actions in general are inexcusable. But this time I thought you were...like most everyone else seems to be. So I thought I could spare you by simply ending it before I coul
[16:03:23] <Melons> d really fuck up. But turns out I fucked up by fucking up. I might not get most people, but I KNOW you're hurting and I KNOW I did it. But I don't want to have to keep running away from friendships or relationships. You're not the only one that was already fucked up in the first place. So we are going to figure this the fuck out. And we are going to at least be friends. It's going to hurt and suck at first, but I've heard
[16:03:23] <Melons>  those are the times you're SUPPOSED to weather things together."
[16:04:39] <Aori_Radidjiu> She sets the pokeball down.  "...fine."
[16:06:22] <Aori_Radidjiu> "I'll buy it.  For now."
[16:07:56] <Aori_Radidjiu> "Promise me you mean it."
[16:09:16] <Aori_Radidjiu> Roll me Intuition, and add your Occult Edu rank to the check. (that is, the rank as a number, as a flat bonus)
[16:09:55] <Melons> ...what, she's actually going for this? What the fuck do I do now? The adrenaline leaves Melanie restless and twitchy. "I promise." Would a blood oath be completely inappro- wait. "...surely Kanaloa had at least one spell to teach you that will inflict harm upon me if I'm lying or stray."
[16:09:58] <Melons> 1d6-2+6
[16:09:58] <PsychoRoll> Melons, 1d6-2+6: 5 [1d6=1]
[16:12:03] <Aori_Radidjiu> Yep, you should probably let her bind you!  That'll hlep you stop being a shitter
[16:13:46] <Aori_Radidjiu> "Hmmmmmmm, a binding spell?  Let's seee...."  She picks upa  book and flips through it a bit.
[16:16:50] <Melons> Mel opens her mouth to give some help to finding a spell, but figures that whole being considered (accurately) a lying whore thing kind of devalues any help.
[16:19:08] <Aori_Radidjiu> "'The bound will find themselves compelled to apologize and make amends should they wrong the binder, they will feel plagued with guilt until they perform a penance of the binder's choosing.'  Sound good?"
[16:20:10] <Melons> "...is that really strong enough? It kind of sounds like what's happening anyways..."
[16:20:38] <Aori_Radidjiu> "Hmmmm.  What kind of thing did you have in mind, exactly?"
[16:23:50] <Melons> "I was thinking something either more simple like...you being able to just inflict debilitating pain upon me with a thought. Or something more...lasting if I wronged you...again."
[16:24:33] <Aori_Radidjiu> "More lasting?  Like what?"
[16:25:37] <Melons> "Or both I guess if you prefer...oh uh...well...I mean the body has plenty of redundant parts..." This just has bad idea written all over it.
[16:28:50] <Aori_Radidjiu> "I'm not interested in removing your organs.  How's about..."  She rummages through her nightstand drawers and pulls out a fashionable choker, a pair of earrings, a pair of bracelets,a nd a pair of anklets.  "If you're really into the whole pain thing, I can just enchant these to mess you up if I think you're doing something bad.  Pick what you like~."
[16:30:36] <Aori_Radidjiu> "I could also go for a piercing somewhere else, if you'd like~"
[16:31:38] <Melons> "I...guess the choker?" I think the normal people way to do fucked up things like this would be to just give her control of my inhalers...
[16:32:18] <Aori_Radidjiu> "You sure? Once I put it on, only I'm gonna' be able to take it off!"
[16:33:40] <Melons> "Um..." She takes a deep breath, delaying her mistake for a few seconds. "Yes."
[16:34:57] <Melons> ...why did she have stuff like this laying around? Maybe I've been slacking on obtaining and creating magical artifacts.
[16:37:51] <Aori_Radidjiu> "All right, I'm gonna' need..."  She picks up that Nymph Ball and pops it open, http://www.pokemontrash.com/pokemon-x-y/images/diancie/artwork-diancie-tails19950.png appearing.  "Medea, hun, make me a few crystals, I need them for something~.  Oh, and in green, so they match her."  The Pokemon nods and presses her hands together, pulling them apart to create a bunch of small little
[16:37:51] <Aori_Radidjiu> Heliodor crystals.  "Excellent~.  Now, hold still Melanie."   She carefully walks up to you, Heliodors in hands.
[16:39:25] <Melons> The fuck is that thing, what did it...Melanie's attempt at holding still actually results in her being twitchier.
[16:42:31] <Aori_Radidjiu> She pulls out a cutting tool, and uses it to inscribe each of the gems with a specific insignia.  And then she carefully presses each gem into the choker, the gems slightly being absorbed by the material of the choker, giving off a slight glow.  It pushes right in without really feeling like its constricting your neck.  She does this until the choker has perfectly spaced circular
[16:42:32] <Aori_Radidjiu> Heliodor gems all the way around.  "And now we need a bit of energy, to catalyze the ritual~.  Hope you don't mind!"  She grabs you and gives you a kiss, grasping you tight.
[16:43:24] <Melons> Mel's awkwardness in this kiss competes with that of her first kiss with Mirai.
[16:44:01] <Aori_Radidjiu> And then after a little while, she stops, wiping a little bit of saliva off her mouth.  "That should do it."
[16:45:40] <Melons> Melanie realizes she forgot to breath for a bit and reacquaints herself with oxygen.
[16:46:25] <Melons> She runs her fingers over the choker. "Can you test it? Y'know, so I...know."
[16:47:27] <Aori_Radidjiu> "Well, all right!"  She snaps her fingers and the choker constricts, your whole body wracked with pain, and you just CAN'T BREATHE AT ALL
[16:48:39] <Aori_Radidjiu> Lose two ticks of HP and take -2 to all combat stages
[16:49:12] <Melons> Oh, so her fears of what might happen if she were to have a really bad asthma attack without help were pretty accurate. She drops to the ground, clawing at the choker.
[16:49:36] <Aori_Radidjiu> She snaps her fingers again and it STOPS.  "You all right?"
[16:50:19] <Melons> Mel puffs at her inhaler just to be sure. "...n-no...but that's the point..."
[16:52:10] <Melons> "...you're not going to just kill me with it now, are you?"
[16:52:52] <Aori_Radidjiu> "Ah, no, it's designed to let up if you're gonna' die from it, and then constrict again once you have air."
[16:53:03] <Aori_Radidjiu> "...like those water drowning tortures."
[16:53:47] <Melons> "So it won't kill me directly, but my asthma or something totally could. Got it. Well if you decide to go all in on that, let me know first, I'd like to settle some stuff with my parents and pokemon before...y'know, dying."
[16:54:43] <Aori_Radidjiu> "If you really want me to kill you, I could, but I don't really see myself doing that."
[16:56:39] <Melons> Mel snorts. "If I'm going this far, you better at least be willing to kill me if I ask for it!" She's tired enough that it doesn't come out as clearly as a joke as she intended. "...so...what now? I think normally we're supposed to give each other some space, but...this...isn't normal. Are you hungry? I'm hungry."
[16:57:08] <Aori_Radidjiu> "...I am hungry, yes.  I could get dressed and we could eat."  She nods.
[16:57:42] <Melons> "That sounds good...oh, I think Mako still wants to like...leave you on Conch for counselling..."
[16:58:25] <Aori_Radidjiu> "Hmph, I'll see a shrink if he wants, but I'm not leaving!"
[16:59:14] <Melons> "He seemed to accept when I said you'd probably want to stay and it's probably better for your actual mental health. Also, call Alicia. She's worried."
[16:59:59] <Aori_Radidjiu> "Fiiiiine."
[17:00:13] <Melons> "Oh, but I do need to get this out there...Nilly...one of Alicia's shipmates...is like me. And I can learn a lot about...this glitch stuff...but I want to make sure it's okay with you...because I kindasortadid...once...have sex with her..."
[17:01:11] <Melons> Sup, feet?
[17:01:21] <Aori_Radidjiu> She hrrrrms.  "You can do it with her...so long as you bring me along."
[17:02:54] <Melons> "...oh, certainly. Can I gush about how awesome some stuff I bought today is while we eat or should I wait until you're more rested?"
[17:03:08] <Aori_Radidjiu> "Sure, while we eat."
[17:06:21] <Melons> Melanie looks like she's about to open a pile of presents before turning serious again. "I really am sorry...but I promise it's going to get better."
[17:06:52] <Aori_Radidjiu> "...All right, I can accept that~"
[17:07:36] <Melons> Melanie grins again and prepares to escort Luna ou- oh she should probably get changed first. Is this when </mini> sneaks up on them?
[17:07:57] <Aori_Radidjiu> Aye