UNTITLED SMP
UNTITLED SMP
Characters present: Joco, Flick
Date: 2/7/24
Season: 3
[Joco is perusing their library of books, glancing now and again at the fish tank nearby, goggles still on from their diving. Flick flies in through the front doors, skidding to a halt on the ground.]
[18:30:21] <✦[rp] Flick> JOCO
[18:30:28] <✦[rp] Flick> JOCO WHERE ARE YOU!
[Joco turns their head towards the sounds of movement, moving their goggles off their face onto their forehead.]
[18:30:29] <✦[rp] Joco> Hm?
[18:30:35] <✦[rp] Joco> Flick!
[They jog over to Flick, immediately noticing his distress.]
[18:30:39] <✦[rp] Joco> Hi?
[18:30:41] <✦[rp] Joco> Are you okay?
[18:30:43] <✦[rp] Flick> hi i have fucked up i have fucked up SO bad
[18:30:45] <✦[rp] Joco> Oh
[18:30:48] <✦[rp] Joco> Yeah?
[Joco inches around him to close the front doors as Flick begins to talk rapidly.]
[18:30:50] <✦[rp] Flick> VERY very very not okay, i think
[18:31:01] <✦[rp] Flick> mmmmmmm so you know ion. you know Ion???
[18:31:04] <✦[rp] Joco> Yes
[18:31:10] <✦[rp] Joco> Ion who is with the sculk and attack the fest
[18:31:33] <✦[rp] Flick> Ion. sculk. We thought we could like. Like ages ago, when Doc had Wisteria meet to introduce everybody to Scarm , right??
[18:31:39] <✦[rp] Joco> Yeah?
[18:32:04] <✦[rp] Flick> Ollie and I had like. I told him about a pit I'd dug out just like- just because i was Bored, you know? And we thought "oh it'll be okay we can like, quarantine Ion there for a bit"
[18:32:17] <✦[rp] Joco> Oh dear
[18:32:28] <✦[rp] Flick> Uh. Tried that! I don't know where anybody else was it was just me and Scarm. and. dude. christ, shit? Shit. Shit. Joco i Fucked Up So Bad
[18:32:35] <✦[rp] Joco> What happened, Flick
[18:32:35] <✦[rp] Flick> It did Not work it did not work even a little bit
[18:32:46] <✦[rp] Joco> Of course it didn't, people generally carry around pickaxes
[18:32:51] <✦[rp] Joco> And elytra. And.
[18:33:12] <✦[rp] Flick> it was a DEEP hole!! and I got their elytra off 'em, and . pushed them in , you know??? and
[18:33:16] <✦[rp] Joco> WHAT
[18:33:38] <✦[rp] Joco> OK. You pushed Ion in a big pit. OK.
[18:34:10] <✦[rp] Joco> Flick my good friend. Mein Freund.
[18:33:49] <✦[rp] Flick> They were fine they didn't like. die. they didn't die. and we chatted Some while she was down there and. joco. dude, buddy? pal. my friend.
[18:34:11] <✦[rp] Flick> Apparently?? Ion can like. Make sculk? or something?? I do not know HOW they did it.
[18:34:15] <✦[rp] Joco> Oh wow
[Flick mimes the sculk carrying Ion up into the air.]
[18:34:41] <✦[rp] Flick> Got OUT of the pit. like rose up out on a huge giant. thing. of sculk.
[18:35:02] <✦[rp] Joco> Are you okay? Did they attack you, or anything like that? Retaliation?
[Flick is barely resisting the urge to pick at his feather while pacing around Joco’s living room.]
[18:35:41] <✦[rp] Flick> I mean? No?? But she was WEIRD?? Like, not even just in the sculk kind of way?? Like. obviously in the sculk kind of way. but
[18:36:07] <✦[rp] Joco> Like, in a 'there's 3 Princes' or
[18:36:07] <✦[rp] Flick> Like. Talking weird? Like saying something, and then. like it wasn't her talking they'd go "no" and it was just. different??
[18:36:13] <✦[rp] Joco> Oh dear
[18:36:24] <✦[rp] Joco> Possession type shit
[18:36:25] <✦[rp] Joco> OK
[18:36:32] <✦[rp] Joco> Fuckin' hell. OK.
[18:36:43] <✦[rp] Flick> Yeah that's! That's sorta more. along the lines?? of what happened. I think. Maybe.
[18:37:11] <✦[rp] Joco> So, Ion's possessed by the Sculk. Shoving her in a pit did not help.
[18:37:12] <✦[rp] Flick> Scarm's. fucking weird without Doc. Scarm?? Okay when Doc is around. Thought it'd be okay to have Scarm as backup when dealing with Ion. BAD idea. bad, bad , bad BAD idea
[18:37:18] <✦[rp] Joco> Oh dear
[18:37:43] <✦[rp] Joco> You took Scarm, a sculk entity, to go try and imprison Ion, a sculk infected?
[18:37:45] <✦[rp] Flick> shoving into a pit did NOT help! may have actively made it worse. i just wanted to try to help.
[18:37:57] <✦[rp] Joco> Of course you wanted to help, that's. Yeah no of course.
[18:38:12] <✦[rp] Flick> I thought Scarm would be fine! Scarm's always fine around Doc, even if still just a little off, but like. we played cards! I thought we were buds like it'd go over okay.
[18:38:25] <✦[rp] Flick> might have gotten too hung up on "this is my friends arm" and not the sculk part of it.
[18:38:30] <✦[rp] Joco> Scarm's never normal about sculk, buckaroo.
[18:38:34] <✦[rp] Flick> maybe. i will admit that.
[18:38:36] <✦[rp] Joco> God. Yeah. OK.
[18:38:42] <✦[rp] Joco> That makes sense
[18:38:58] <✦[rp] Joco> But we gotta remember that Scarm isn't Doc's Arm in personality, he's Prince.
[Flick reaches up, rubbing the base of his neck with a hand.]
[18:38:58] <✦[rp] Flick> you ever had your friend's severed arm choke you a little bit? not fun, not fun at all. awful, infact
[18:39:03] <✦[rp] Joco> He WHAT
[18:39:10] <✦[rp] Joco> Are you okay???
[18:39:35] <✦[rp] Flick> mmmmmmmm it did it's fine we're fine we're vibing. it's fine. it's all going to be fine
[Flick raises his hand in an extremely shaky thumbs up.]
[18:40:01] <✦[rp] Joco> You sure of that?
[18:40:22] <✦[rp] Flick> Absolutely not even a little bit but i think if i Don't tell myself that i Will fly apart at the seams
[Joco lifts up their arms.]
[18:40:10] <✦[rp] Joco> Would a hug help right now or would it hinder?
[Flick practically runs into it.]
[18:40:32] <✦[rp] Flick> Please, a hug would be. Yeah
[Joco hugs Flick tight, but can still feel the wave of nerves boiling beneath the surface. When he lets go Flick has seemed to calm down somewhat, but still rambles nervously under his breath.]
[18:41:10] <✦[rp] Flick> great, great, great, okay. okay! okay. okay alrighty okay alright okay.
[18:41:15] <✦[rp] Joco> You did your best with a. Mildy shit plan.
[18:41:29] <✦[rp] Flick> there were Supposed to be other people there, i thought. i Thought.
[18:41:54] <✦[rp] Joco> God. Buckaroo, PLEASE don't be afraid to call me if you need help doin' something like that.
[18:41:35] <✦[rp] Joco> Who was supposed to be there?
[18:41:57] <✦[rp] Flick> Ollie, maybe? Maybe Doc? Doc was busy.
[18:42:10] <✦[rp] Joco> Ollie and Doc. Not the best squad. OK.
[18:42:12] <✦[rp] Flick> I know Doc was busy. Have NO idea where Ollie's at, haven't seen him since the festival.
[18:42:32] <✦[rp] Joco> Hm
[18:42:35] <✦[rp] Joco> OK
[Joco steps back and looks Flick over.]
[18:43:13] <✦[rp] Joco> Are you physically fine? Do you have sculk on you that needs cleaning off? I have extra healing pots and such if needed
[18:43:18] <✦[rp] Flick> Shit, dude. Shit?? Like. Doc. obviously handled the sculk on his own. Prince is Prince there's. I don't think there's any Fixing that one. Whatever we tried with Ion didn't work- who was- who of your group got got? or was it. one of the malf folks??
[18:43:30] <✦[rp] Flick> somebody got caught up in Prince's basement, i cannot remember.
[18:43:29] <✦[rp] Joco> Punk was sculked
[18:43:36] <✦[rp] Joco> Punk of Malfaction
[18:43:46] <✦[rp] Joco> He's. Dan's husband? Corroded-in-law.
[18:43:54] <✦[rp] Flick> Punk of. Yeah. Did he get Okay after sculked? Was that. How'd you Fix That.
[18:44:02] <✦[rp] Joco> Ceph told Prince to un-sculk him.
[18:44:17] <✦[rp] Joco> The issue here, I think? Is that Punk and Doc didn't want to be sculked. Ion chose this.
[18:45:03] <✦[rp] Flick> Yeah! Ion. Ion chose it but. How do you FIX that?? Getting tricked into joining up with a group is one thing but this is. Something else?
[Flick nods rapidly, and then slows down. His chest rises and falls quickly. He looks down at his shaking hands, balling them into fists.]
[18:44:19] <✦[rp] Flick> I think I'm okay physically. I think. Skipped over that a bit. I think I'm okay?
[18:44:52] <✦[rp] Joco> What if we go upstairs and do a once-over to check that you're ok and clean from sculk, I could make some tea?
[18:44:54] <✦[rp] Joco> Hot cocoa?
[Flick nods quickly.]
[18:45:11] <✦[rp] Flick> tea would. tea would be nice, i think.
[18:46:07] <✦[rp] Joco> C'mon, upstairs
[The two head upstairs, Flick taking a seat at the big table.]
[18:47:01] <✦[rp] Joco> Is it alright if I check the back of your wings? I know it's harder to check that spot for gunk
[18:47:15] <✦[rp] Flick> Yeah, yeah. Yes. Go for it?
[18:48:10] <✦[rp] Flick> I don't think i have any sculk on me? I think. Ion tried to give me some. but it was just to the hands. y'know?
[18:48:27] <✦[rp] Joco> You can never be too careful, if she was summoning the stuff
[Joco begins checking the base feathers of Flick’s wings for any sculk that might have squirmed its way beneath the feathers.]
[18:48:39] <✦[rp] Joco> I'd hate for you to lose your wings like Doc did his arm
[18:49:07] <✦[rp] Flick> AWFUL thought. awful thought awful awful bad.
[18:49:17] <✦[rp] Joco> Yes very bad thought. So! Safety checking.
[Flick speaks too quickly to keep himself from saying something.]
[18:49:23] <✦[rp] Flick> Do NOT want to lose the wings, thanks, came close enough once already
[18:49:54] <✦[rp] Joco> Yeah?
[18:50:05] <✦[rp] Joco> We'll do our damnest to keep you winged, buckaroo
[18:50:17] <✦[rp] Joco> You ain't losin' this part of you
[Joco begins to absentmindedly preen Flick’s wings.]
[18:45:21] <✦[rp] Joco> I don't. Genuinely, I have little experience getting people out of cults
[18:45:30] <✦[rp] Joco> Usually the cults win and the worlds end.
[18:45:40] <✦[rp] Joco> But I don't. Think that will happen here. We won't let it.
[18:45:57] <✦[rp] Flick> Mmmmmm I have. some experience with cults. but it wasn't a doomsday one. technically.
[18:46:02] <✦[rp] Joco> I think maybe being kind to them is a good start
[18:48:09] <✦[rp] Joco> Ion's in the deep end with the sculk, I'm assuming she's in contact with the Princes?
[18:48:38] <✦[rp] Flick> God, yeah. Fuck. Scarm said to talk to the Princes? Which is where. I feel i have DEEPLY fucked up.
[18:49:06] <✦[rp] Joco> I don't. Was he not already in kahoots with Prince? That's odd, if not.
[18:50:21] <✦[rp] Flick> I don't know. I think I mostly lost track of Ion, after the wedding. I don't know what's happened. I know I mentioned you to them, before the like. The more overt possession stuff showed again? I thought I heard them say they wondered if they could trust you
[18:50:36] <✦[rp] Joco> I. Huh.
[18:50:44] <✦[rp] Flick> They really liked your hug.
[18:50:53] <✦[rp] Flick> You do give good hugs. for what it's worth.
[18:50:58] <✦[rp] Joco> D'aww, thank you
[Joco nods to themself.]
[18:50:55] <✦[rp] Joco> OK. I will be prepared in case they come popping by. Huh.
[18:51:37] <✦[rp] Joco> I only. I've only ever talked to them at the Festival, I'm pretty sure? Might've said an offhand comment at the wedding
[18:51:42] <✦[rp] Joco> All I did was chat and give a hug.
[18:51:54] <✦[rp] Flick> I think if. The Princes show up anywhere near my place. I Will be booking it out of there as fast as fucking possible. Just so you know?
[18:52:06] <✦[rp] Joco> Good!
[18:52:08] <✦[rp] Joco> Get out of there
[18:52:18] <✦[rp] Joco> Don't get cornered
[18:52:40] <✦[rp] Flick> Like. Liable to crashland either here or at Doc's. Maybe not Docs, I don't know if Scarm would. Mmmm. Bad. Maybe here's better for now.
[18:52:54] <✦[rp] Joco> You're always welcome here
[18:53:17] <✦[rp] Flick> That's. I appreciate that. You're always welcome at my place too, you know?
[18:53:07] <✦[rp] Joco> I've also got my large tree out a little ways, it has a good cave system
[18:53:31] <✦[rp] Flick> Oh, caves. Lovely places to hide in. Trees and Caves, what's not to love.
[18:53:35] <✦[rp] Joco> Yeah!
[18:53:50] <✦[rp] Joco> It's also got a few sniffers and skele horses living topside round it
[18:54:16] <✦[rp] Flick> Man, just like my place.
[18:54:14] <✦[rp] Joco> Hm. Maybe it's more than a bit like your base.
[18:54:52] <✦[rp] Joco> But! Yeah, no, you could bunker down here in Corroded and in my home no matter the reason
[18:55:17] <✦[rp] Joco> Same goes for Doc, although he doesn't seem keen on leaving his house.
[18:55:17] <✦[rp] Flick> Cool beans, cool beans. God. This is the WORST.
[18:55:24] <✦[rp] Joco> Yeah! It is.
[18:55:29] <✦[rp] Flick> Doc's real big on staying at his own place, I think.
[18:55:40] <✦[rp] Joco> Mold-based apocalypses generally are
[18:55:56] <✦[rp] Joco> Spores, slimes, suckers, they're all kinda. The worst in their own ways.
[18:56:04] <✦[rp] Flick> You got a lot of experiences with those, then?
[18:56:12] <✦[rp] Joco> Oh, I've seen a few over the years
[18:56:24] <✦[rp] Joco> One was heavily spore based, would get in your lungs if you didn't have a mask on.
[18:56:36] <✦[rp] Joco> Get in your lungs, eyes, ears, any orifice.
[18:56:55] <✦[rp] Joco> It'd just kill you, of course, not turn you into . Whatever Ion and Princes have going on
[18:57:00] <✦[rp] Joco> But. Still, sucked ass
[18:57:17] <✦[rp] Flick> God, yeah that sounds absolutely miserable.
[18:57:29] <✦[rp] Flick> Sometimes I wonder if death would be a mercy.
[Joco straightens a feather.]
[18:57:38] <✦[rp] Joco> Death is often a mercy, but living is a victory
[18:57:51] <✦[rp] Flick> Like obviously OBVIOUSLY I'd rather save them if we can. Fuck, I'd much rather save em. But if Ion's still in there, y'know??
[18:57:58] <✦[rp] Joco> Yeah
[18:58:19] <✦[rp] Joco> If Ion gets out of this alive, they won't be getting out the same as they were before. And that is something to live with.
[18:58:52] <✦[rp] Joco> If they get out of this, I'll bake them a cake or twenty. They've earned it.
[18:59:42] <✦[rp] Flick> I think if. Ion survives. Do you think they'd. About all I've got to offer that's decent is flowers. Do you think they'd like that?
[19:00:05] <✦[rp] Joco> Flowers are always a lovely gift to receive
[19:00:24] <✦[rp] Joco> I don't know if Ion is partial to them, but. I think the thought is what counts most, no?
[19:00:49] <✦[rp] Flick> Right! I think. Ion had said something about trying to do something nice for you guys, out of fear of retribution for the festival
[19:00:56] <✦[rp] Joco> Huh
[19:01:07] <✦[rp] Joco> I don't. Know of any plans of retribution?
[19:01:19] <✦[rp] Joco> But. I'll keep my ears out for it.
[19:01:43] <✦[rp] Flick> I think Ion was just. Worried about it?? I don't even remember most of what I said to them.
[19:01:55] <✦[rp] Joco> That's understandable, it sounds like it was stressful as FUCK
[19:02:01] <✦[rp] Flick> Nothing false. I don't like lying if I can avoid it. but. man. :(
[19:02:07] <✦[rp] Joco> Yeah. Yeah.
[Flick sets his head on the table, there’s still a tension in his body, but he seems calmer now.]
[19:03:10] <✦[rp] Flick> I know I said it already but i'm gonna say it again. this SUCKS. this sucks ASS, joco.
[Joco pulls a leaf out from between some feathers]
[19:03:19] <✦[rp] Flick> sculk? Not great. i am not having a good time.
[19:03:23] <✦[rp] Flick> thank you.
[19:03:25] <✦[rp] Joco> Oh yeah, this absolutely sucks. Here, leaf.
[19:03:32] <✦[rp] Flick> Thank you for Leaf.
[19:03:58] <✦[rp] Joco> I think maybe this is just a situation where no matter what, it's gonna suck ass.
[19:04:14] <✦[rp] Joco> Try to help, shit fucked. Try to disengage, shit fuck.
[19:04:50] <✦[rp] Flick> mmmmm it's all shitfuck indeed.
[19:04:30] <✦[rp] Flick> Ion said something about Freedom but i can't remember what exactly it was. sculk's not going to be a freedom to me. feels less like freedom more like hitching your heart to something that's trying to kill you for its own goals.
[19:04:51] <✦[rp] Joco> Choosing one's cage might feel like freedom, in a way
[19:04:58] <✦[rp] Joco> But. It's not freedom, is it?
[19:05:08] <✦[rp] Flick> Not really. A big cage is still a cage.
[19:05:11] <✦[rp] Joco> Yes
[19:05:46] <✦[rp] Joco> I.
[19:06:02] <✦[rp] Joco> They said something, at the festival. About not being able to feel the heat of the mesa? And that's. Really stuck with me.
[19:06:37] <✦[rp] Flick> Yeah. Yeah! Not. being able to feel things. I think both Ion and Scarm said something about not feeling pain, either?
[19:06:51] <✦[rp] Joco> Not feeling pain because you can't feel anything is.
[19:07:03] <✦[rp] Joco> I don't think that's a good thing? That is not a net gain.
[19:06:09] <✦[rp] Flick> I don't know what to Do, man. Does anyone even have any ideas anymore?
[19:06:29] <✦[rp] Joco> The only idea I've been running with is the void pits, to be honest
[19:06:35] <✦[rp] Joco> Void pits and kindness.
[19:07:44] <✦[rp] Flick> Void Pits and kindness. Hm. I am extremely hesitant? To fully sign onto the voids. If it'll work, Maybe, MAYBE give it a shot. Try to get everybody out and leave an infected world to be destroyed instead of left to spread. I don't know.
[19:08:26] <✦[rp] Joco> Oh yeah no the void is a terrible plan but I just simply. Y'know, sunk cost fallacy? And also. I don't . Have much else of a plan.
[19:09:13] <✦[rp] Flick> It might be the best shot we've got at this point. If nothing else is really working.
[Joco ruffles Flick's hair affectionately, finished with preening and getting up to make tea. He moves around the kitchen getting supplies, removing his goggles and setting them on the counter as Flick begins mumbling strings of nonsense face first into the table.]
[19:09:24] <✦[rp] Flick> Your lava sanitation. What if we just covered the world in Lava.
[19:09:29] <✦[rp] Joco> That's
[19:09:34] <✦[rp] Joco> Buckaroo??
[19:10:01] <✦[rp] Flick> Just take a TON of lava. pour it everywhere.
[19:10:20] <✦[rp] Joco> You're getting apple cider, not tea. You need a nap, not a caffeine
[19:10:32] <✦[rp] Joco> Lava is not an answer here, but I love the enthusiasm
[19:10:32] <✦[rp] Flick> yeah that's fair.
[19:10:52] <✦[rp] Flick> lava COULD be an answer. Could be. burn it all. start over. start fresh.
[19:11:10] <✦[rp] Flick> Just as easy to do that by just. starting over in a new world again though.
[19:11:15] <✦[rp] Joco> If all the sculk in this world is connected, and the world is infinitely large, we can't lava all the sculk
[Joco walks over, handing Flick a mug of apple cider while nursing one of their own.]
[19:11:34] <✦[rp] Joco> Leaving is the best option
[Flick lets out a deep sigh.]
[19:11:37] <✦[rp] Flick> I suppose you're right.
[19:11:44] <✦[rp] Flick> Yeah dipping is probably the best option
[19:11:40] <✦[rp] Joco> I just. Hate to leave Ion behind.
[19:11:52] <✦[rp] Flick> I ALSO don't want to leave Ion behind!
[19:12:14] <✦[rp] Joco> I know we weren't leaving before, because of Doc's infection, but. I'm not even sure if we're able to leave? Last world, we were given an out.
[19:12:16] <✦[rp] Flick> And I mean. Prince is. Prince has been strange since the wedding. and maybe i thought he was a bit off before, too. but he seemed an alright guy??
[19:12:30] <✦[rp] Joco> Prince. Did you not see the sacrifice pit?
[19:12:40] <✦[rp] Flick> At the wedding or after
[19:12:46] <✦[rp] Joco> Under the wedding
[19:13:13] <✦[rp] Joco> Prince merged himself with the sculk. He's weird because he's part of a sculk hivemind thing.
[19:13:22] <✦[rp] Flick> Under. well, yeah. but. before all that, when a bunch of the malf folks showed up to be a bother at larkspur. he seemed okay. a HUGE yes man but-
[19:13:29] <✦[rp] Flick> oh fused with a hivemind is.
[19:13:50] <✦[rp] Flick> that seems awfully irreparable.
[19:13:55] <✦[rp] Joco> There's at least 3 Princes capable of existing, if not. Infinitely many.
[19:14:02] <✦[rp] Joco> I don't think we're going to save Prince
[19:14:03] <✦[rp] Flick> Horrifying, thank you for sharing.
[19:14:05] <✦[rp] Joco> I think Prince is doomed.
[19:14:21] <✦[rp] Joco> But Ion? Ion might. I want Ion to be capable of escaping.
[19:14:31] <✦[rp] Flick> I want to get Ion out, at least.
[19:15:09] <✦[rp] Joco> Before, we didn't leave because Doc was fucked. Now, we can't leave because Ion's fucked, but it's looking harder and harder to unfuck Ion because they CHOSE this.
[19:15:18] <✦[rp] Joco> They CHOSE to be infected.
[19:15:36] <✦[rp] Flick> Yeah! I. Yeah.
[19:15:37] <✦[rp] Joco> You can't save someone that doesn't want saving.
[19:15:59] <✦[rp] Flick> I wish it was possible to like. Make them see that they don't need the sculk though.
[19:16:13] <✦[rp] Joco> You catch more flies with honey than vinegar
[19:16:43] <✦[rp] Flick> Like. When I was talking to them, sometimes it seemed like they were normal- like the one we Knew from earlier like before all of this nonsense kept happening. and then like. something else spoke through them, almost?
[19:17:00] <✦[rp] Joco> Hm
[19:17:10] <✦[rp] Joco> Was it in specific moments where it took over?
[19:17:13] <✦[rp] Flick> Acted like their throat hurt a lot. Rubbing at it and such. Maybe make sure you have tea on hand in case they come by. tea, honey. nice things.
[19:17:16] <✦[rp] Flick> usually when like.
[19:17:50] <✦[rp] Flick> the one specific thing i can remember was like. Ion said they couldn't be upset with me for tricking them, or something like that. and then just said "No."
[19:18:05] <✦[rp] Joco> Huh
[19:18:25] <✦[rp] Joco> So the sculk does want them upset with you.
[19:18:33] <✦[rp] Flick> Like. whenever I Thought i was close to getting them to a point of like, hey, there's people who Aren't Sculk And The Princes. that seemed like when it pushed more force over. whatever it was.
[19:19:18] <✦[rp] Flick> I'm desperately hoping its not upset at Me, Specifically.
[19:18:56] <✦[rp] Joco> Huh
[19:18:59] <✦[rp] Joco> OK
[19:19:15] <✦[rp] Joco> So it's. Wow it's just like a cult. That's
[19:19:19] <✦[rp] Joco> Huh.
[19:19:55] <✦[rp] Joco> Probably not, if it's doing the Cult Thing then it's just socially isolating its victim slash member, so they're less likely to leave.
[19:20:11] <✦[rp] Joco> If you feel safe with nobody but the cult then. You don't want to leave.
[19:19:58] <✦[rp] Flick> I can't even say anything to like, think on how to get Ion OUT, if it is a cultish thing. I think I just got lucky, to realize what was happening on my own and get the hell out. I don't. I don't know how to help Ion like that.
[19:20:41] <✦[rp] Joco> You escaped a cult??
[Flick nods quietly.]
[19:21:25] <✦[rp] Flick> Earlier, before I met Ollie. I thought they were just being nice. It sucked ass. I don't really like thinking about it.
[19:21:31] <✦[rp] Joco> Shit. Yeah.
[19:21:33] <✦[rp] Joco> OK.
[19:22:02] <✦[rp] Joco> But. Yeah. Unless we can show Ion 'hey, this isn't healthy or normal' we're not gonna be able to get her out from Sculk control
[19:22:18] <✦[rp] Joco> specially since, y'know. The sculk is Part of Her
[19:24:01] <✦[rp] Joco> Unlike normal cults, we cannot kidnap the victim here and force them to see reality.
[19:24:30] <✦[rp] Flick> True! I think. Doing that would just have sculk everywhere in wherever you tried to keep him.
[19:24:37] <✦[rp] Joco> Yeeeup
[19:25:08] <✦[rp] Joco> It would be a moot point, given. We can't take the sculk outta Ion. So we can't take Ion outta the sculk.
[19:25:18] <✦[rp] Flick> And sculk being a Part of them- that. attempted counter-isolation wouldn't really work, would it? Just be sculk in their head going "see, WE'D never kidnap you"
[19:25:30] <✦[rp] Joco> Yeah.
[19:25:37] <✦[rp] Joco> Yeah, fuckin' hell
[19:25:36] <✦[rp] Flick> What if we just dunk Ion in the ocean.
[19:25:42] <✦[rp] Joco> WH
[19:25:46] <✦[rp] Joco> buckaroo???
[19:25:51] <✦[rp] Flick> salt's bad for a lot of plants. does that apply to fungi as well. is the sculk fungal??
[19:25:57] <✦[rp] Flick> like, too much salt.
[19:26:08] <✦[rp] Joco> I don't. I don't know
[19:26:32] <✦[rp] Joco> I would assume that if it did have a negative effect, you'd need to dunk them in longer than . A quick dip
[19:27:00] <✦[rp] Joco> The sculk can handle extreme cold. Not lava, but not much can.
[19:27:12] <✦[rp] Flick> No real subtle way to test it to see if it works, the ocean.
[19:27:36] <✦[rp] Joco> Nope
[19:27:36] <✦[rp] Flick> I'd imagine it handles extreme cold well, given where it started.
[19:28:03] <✦[rp] Flick> maybe that's why it's spreading in the way it is. malfaction. then wisteria. it's hot as hell out here.
[19:27:48] <✦[rp] Joco> Well, haven't you seen the giant sculk pillars in Malf?
[19:27:53] <✦[rp] Joco> The tentacles?
[19:28:15] <✦[rp] Flick> I admittedly, have NOT visited malf after they dragged Doc out there.
[19:28:18] <✦[rp] Joco> It might also just be a case of proximity
[19:28:28] <✦[rp] Flick> proximity or temperature gradient, who knows
[19:28:43] <✦[rp] Joco> And also the case of. Y'know. Mold loves moisture.
[19:28:49] <✦[rp] Flick> true! true.
[19:29:04] <✦[rp] Flick> molds. spores. fungi and the ever creeping decay.
[19:29:20] <✦[rp] Joco> Maybe it has a mycelial network
[19:29:29] <✦[rp] Flick> mmm maybe.
[19:29:36] <✦[rp] Flick> through the soils
[19:29:38] <✦[rp] Joco> I wonder what soils it prefers
[19:29:43] <✦[rp] Joco> Hm
[19:29:46] <✦[rp] Flick> alkaline
[19:30:18] <✦[rp] Joco> That would make sense, given the coniferous biome in much of Malfaction
[19:29:50] <✦[rp] Joco> I've been reading too much
[19:30:11] <✦[rp] Flick> Perhaps, perhaps. A touch.
[19:43:42] <✦[rp] Flick> What are things that are like. home remedies for mold. Vinegar? I feel like they use vinegar for Everything
[19:44:01] <✦[rp] Joco> Oh yeah no I've got a big ol' patch of vinegar left over from cleaning Doc's house
[19:44:11] <✦[rp] Joco> Tried to get rid of some of the mildew smell.
[19:44:08] <✦[rp] Flick> what if we set up a mister in Ions house. that's just. real dilute.
[19:44:10] <✦[rp] Flick> this is a joke.
[19:44:15] <✦[rp] Joco> Pfft
[19:44:20] <✦[rp] Flick> but. man, what if.
[19:44:24] <✦[rp] Joco> Mist Ion with vinegar. That'.d
[19:45:16] <✦[rp] Flick> I feel like. if something we could do would clear up their head enough to maybe try to fight against the sculk in his head. maybe??
[19:45:35] <✦[rp] Joco> I'd say we could give them lava to drink but.
[19:45:46] <✦[rp] Joco> I think I'm just about the only person who isn't invulnerable to the stuff who would do that.
[19:45:47] <✦[rp] Joco> So.
[19:45:59] <✦[rp] Flick> I wish you could drink lava without dying. It looks so nice.
[19:46:14] <✦[rp] Joco> It's. I mean.
[19:46:29] <✦[rp] Joco> If you drink a fire res potion beforehand, you kind of can? It still burns a bit going down but.
[19:46:52] <✦[rp] Flick> Mm. perhaps.
[19:46:58] <✦[rp] Flick> Burns like alcohol or just Burns.
[19:47:29] <✦[rp] Joco> Burns like. Hot tea.
[19:47:42] <✦[rp] Flick> Ah. tasty.
[19:47:45] <✦[rp] Joco> Yeup
[19:48:01] <✦[rp] Joco> Can't taste anything for a couple days after, normal mouth burns
[19:48:16] <✦[rp] Flick> You burn your mouth and then can't taste for DAYS?
[19:48:22] <✦[rp] Joco> I mean
[19:48:26] <✦[rp] Joco> Really bad burns, yeah
[19:48:57] <✦[rp] Flick> really bad burns yeah i can see that but. hot tea threw me to a different level of "hot" y'know
[19:49:09] <✦[rp] Joco> HOT hot. Like. Fresh from a cauldron.
[19:49:14] <✦[rp] Joco> I get impatient sometimes
[19:49:17] <✦[rp] Flick> god yeah that'd be hot!
[19:50:08] <✦[rp] Joco> It's fineeee
[19:50:28] <✦[rp] Flick> Are you sure though? Is it really? Really Really?
[19:50:42] <✦[rp] Joco> I mean. OK sure maybe it's not GOOD for me. But! I heal up fine after
[19:50:45] <✦[rp] Joco> It's fineeeeeee
[19:51:01] <✦[rp] Flick> I suppose if you're healing with no lasting damage, that's the important part, right?
[19:51:05] <✦[rp] Joco> Yeah!
[Joco looks out the window, where the sun crests the horizon.]
[19:51:43] <✦[rp] Joco> Hm. Sun's rising.
[19:51:56] <✦[rp] Flick> That makes this. One hell of a night then, I suppose.
[19:52:01] <✦[rp] Joco> Yeup
[19:52:13] <✦[rp] Flick> It's nice. Sunrise over your lil chapel down there. Very pretty
[Affectionately:]
[19:52:22] <✦[rp] Joco> Yeah <3
[19:52:11] <✦[rp] Joco> Wanna sleep over?
[19:52:31] <✦[rp] Flick> I- Yeah. Yeah, I'd sleep over. If you're cool with that
[19:52:35] <✦[rp] Joco> Of course!
[19:52:40] <✦[rp] Flick> Cool!
[19:52:47] <✦[rp] Flick> Cool, cool cool.
[19:52:52] <✦[rp] Joco> I've got a few extra beds, my bedroom's got some good windows to fly out of
[19:52:59] <✦[rp] Flick> oho, good windows
[Joco leads Flick over to their room behind a map, a small space with windows fit to crawl or fly out of and a single bed.]
[19:53:58] <✦[rp] Flick> very cozy in here! very nice very nice
[19:54:08] <✦[rp] Joco> God. I am NOT feeling sleep in the Box.
[19:54:19] <✦[rp] Flick> in the box???
[19:54:24] <✦[rp] Joco> The. My box.
[19:54:32] <✦[rp] Joco> Normal thing to own, really, obsidian box
[19:54:21] <✦[rp] Joco> Mind if i move a bed in here, child sleepover style?
[19:55:27] <✦[rp] Flick> Mhm, definitely normal. I mean you can sleep however in here, it's your place. Thanks for letting me stick around, I appreciate it
[19:55:55] <✦[rp] Joco> You are always welcome here, my friend
[19:55:58] <✦[rp] Joco> Always
[They step out to grab their other bed, quickly returning]
[19:56:05] <✦[rp] Joco> Even if you were a sculk zombie <3
[19:56:36] <✦[rp] Flick> man, EVEN if i were a sculk zombie??
[19:56:45] <✦[rp] Joco> Yeup
[19:57:10] <✦[rp] Flick> Hey. Hey. if i get sculked and i'm not behaving rationally? FULL permission to dunk me in lava. shove me in a copper foundry if you need. do what you need.
[Joco chokes.]
[19:57:32] <✦[rp] Joco> I
[19:57:40] <✦[rp] Joco> I hope it doesn't come to that! But alrighty!
[19:58:07] <✦[rp] Flick> Oh i also hope it doesn't come to that but! Hey, y'know? just in case, you ahve my full permission
[19:58:16] <✦[rp] Joco> Alrighty!
[19:58:40] <✦[rp] Joco> Gosh. OK. Sleep time.
[19:59:43] <✦[rp] Flick> Sleep time sleep time. Sleep well, Joco.
[The two snuggle up in their beds and drift off to sleep.]