Audience - Jacopo

[holyspirits]

Comments

[obdure]

[ IS THIS A MINOR IN A BAR?? EITHER WAY HE ISN'T FLIRTING, THEY ARE JUST STATEMENTS. if he tried to flirt, he'd just die. ]

I suppose. [ A shrug. ] Either way, this is also fine as is, as long as we can chat.

[ ... ]

I'm surprised you didn't decide to take off when I appeared.

[holyspirits]

[ I AM HIGHLIGHTING HE IS 22 BECAUSE HE WOULD NOT BEHAVE THIS WAY AS OLDER JACOPO. also it sounds like the him-version of flirting but also that is fair. thank you for your statements. ]

I'm always open to chatting. You know where to find me when you want me. [ a little shrug follows. ] Believe it or not, I don't really hide from people. Not, like, purposefully.

[obdure]

[ well, if they want to interpret it that way... then i guess it is. He was just being sincere and would immediately get embarrassed if it was pointed out. ]

Maybe you should raise your standards... I'm not sure why, but I was acting like a maniac before.

[holyspirits]

[ hilarious. it is fine. ]

Oh, yeah, no. You... definitely were going through it last week, but I really think you guys are underestimating my tolerance for this kind of shit. I knew what I was signing up for when I asked for this job.

[obdure]

[ imagines... working this job... ]

You must be paid well... I don't know if I'd be able to do it.

[holyspirits]

What makes you think I'm getting paid for this?

[ they really are doing this for free. ]

[obdure]

... If this is worth your while, who am I to judge...

[ He is judging just a little bit. Everyone here can be so much. ]

[holyspirits]

I think it is, in a way. [ they lean on the bar then. ]

... I want to try and be a better person. And I figure the best way to do that is by being a better person for other people. If that means listening to people talk and giving advice sometimes or just being a person they can offload all their bullshit on, then okay.

[obdure]

[ help. This has him laugh. ]

I was buying into it until you started cursing into an unceremonious ending there.

[holyspirits]

[ they duck their head a little because yeah, fair. it's a sheepish short of gesture as a hand comes up to rub at the back of their head and neck. ]

I mean it. I don't think it's actually bullshit like some of you do, but you get my point here.

[obdure]

I do, I do. And I'm glad you find it fulfilling, Gabriel.

[ no judging. the sheepish gesture works on him to be less mean. ]

Still, I want to apologize... He—I was a lot.

[holyspirits]

[ this time, they tilt their head. ]

So. Is this the guy you wanted to go back to being? [ a little gesture to his everything. ] The shape.

[obdure]

... I... Guess? It's a bit weird to be referred to as a "shape."

[ is this what fish feel like when they're mongered. ]

[holyspirits]

[ stares through the fishbowl. ]

A shape to contain the void. [ it's how they referred to it last week. ] But I see... how're you feeling right now?

[ how is the mental state of a younger jacopo holding up? digging a little to see the comparisons. ]

[obdure]

[ He just looks at them, unsure of how to approach that, but it's fine. He's sure it'll sort itself out. ]

... Fine, personally, but it's hard not to be a bit anxious for tonight.

[ Since murder. ]

[holyspirits]

Yeah. [ yeah? ] Yeah, uh. I can't say I'm really that thrilled either. Without knowing what's going on and knowing if it happens again it could be anybody... kinda hard to not think about it. I've been trying to think of something that might help but I keep getting stuck.

[obdure]

Right... I know we are death and if we were to be killed here, our souls will still be intact. Just lost somewhere. But death brings about all sorts of feelings, regardless of what happens after.

I'm not sure what to do, either. Not that I had been doing much before.

[ him looking at himself the past weeks like wow i sometimes try and i sometimes just don't what's up with that ]

[holyspirits]

Nobody wants to really die, I think. Sure, some people might feel indifferent about life, or might accept they'll die, but in the end I don't think anyone's ever fully okay with it happening. Especially out of their control.

[ gabriel actually has a lot of thoughts about death, and they pause to think this over. ]

How much do you think you should be doing, exactly?

[obdure]

[ wow i typed death instead of dead for the first one but it's fine

Jacopo agrees. Death is difficult to tackle and honestly he doesn't like thinking about it too much. It's better to focus on the now... Just now is Death Thursday. ]

I don't know. Whatever I can to not feel so powerless. Anything that would help the situation or make people feel... Not so miserable.

[ BUT YOU KNOW SADNESS HAPPENS and that's fine. but this is a lot of it. ]

[holyspirits]

[ it is fine, i understood. death is bad, actually. death is hard to think about in so many instances and gabriel's not a fan but here we are knowing someone is going to die soon. ]

... it'd be nice if there was some kind of advantage you guys could have for all of this shit. Even if it's just an earlier answer or a way to prevent something from happening. Not that I know how you'd do that if everyone's asleep at the same time. Set a few traps to protect people blocked in?

[obdure]

Traps could be good. There is a lot we can use... It can help stall, if it works out. I wish it was as easy as staying in our rooms and locking the door.

[ rip. he runs a hand through his hair. ]

How have you been doing? You're also in the middle of all of this, and with us.

[holyspirits]

Yeah, I'm actually surprised more of you don't stay in your rooms now knowing this could be a possibility. I keep hearing about more and more of you winding up in the weirdest places. Together, usually, but still.

[ anyway that's a rough question, and gabriel seems to think so given the way they lean a hip against the counter and take a few moments to mull over it. ]

I am. [ in the middle, and with them. ] I'm not happy this is happening. I've been thinking about the situation and what might be going on, but I'm not finding any better answers than the Angels and God. The best I can do is keep the bar open and keep things going as normally as possible. Hope for the best while trying not to expect the worst, right? I want to believe something will change sooner or later.

[ but it is looking like it will be later rather than sooner, and they hate that. ]

[obdure]

I agree. It's... Unexplainable why they do that. I understand the bar as long as it isn't for drinking away.

[ Doesn't mention it's because Gabriel is here. He hopes the implication that the bar is indoors is the assumption. ]

Right, I do, too. [ He still has hope because, honestly, 1-2 bodies a week is not that different from home when you live in the slums. ] It's a waiting game for now...

[holyspirits]

[ it is the assumption because gabriel never really expects people to be here for them, but they're happy enough with the company. ]

Probably people feel safer in big groups and it's harder to do that in a small room. But I don't know. [ there's a sigh. ] I'm kinda sick of games, to be honest. There has to be a way to flip this one over on its head.

[obdure]

[ ... Jacopo knows that this is a frustrating situation and he's also itching to do something. Anything. But really all they can do is talk. ]

If we learn anything, we can share. [ Information spreads fast. Sometimes. ] You're going to end up worrying yourself to a full head of white hair if you don't have that already.