discopalace | irritating & oversleeps

[ and on this sunny afternoon, marduk finally chooses to slink on out of the cargo hold, squinting as he finally comes out into the open. too bright. ugh.

he makes sure to give the toy's current trajectory a wide berth, not wanting to partake in any portion of that. he ends up settling on the opposite side of the ship from where the toy's fallen this time, leaning on the railing. marduk doesn't look directly at either apollo or metalhead, despite fully expecting the latter to come bounding over to him any second-- it'd be nice if he didn't, but he's not about to hold his breath on that one. ]

[ Metalhead begins barking once he realizes Marduk is present, and the only thing keeping him from bounding over to him is the fact that he's too busy fetching to say hello properly. Of course, once he brings the toy back to Apollo, she fixes that by standing up and throwing it directly at Marduk. ]

Catch! [ She calls, although it probably comes a little too late. Metalhead has to skitter to a stop in order to not crash into Marduk, and once he grabs it, this time he tries to return it to him instead. While he occupies himself with that, Apollo decides to make her way over to the pair, since Marduk may or may not still be sulking and unwilling to come to her first. ]

Finally decide to come out from hidin', huh?

[ he's keeping metalhead at bay with both arms when apollo comes over, snarling at the poor dog to try and deter him from foisting that awful toy on him. it's no less than he should've expected, really-- marduk gives apollo a surly look when she speaks, knowing that every bit of this was a deliberate setup. ]

Don't know what you're talking about. [ he's never hid from anything in his life, alright. ] Take your dog back.

[ The snarling does nothing to discourage Metalhead, probably because he just doesn't seem to be taking him seriously. Take the toy, damnit. ]

Really? [ Purposely disregarding that last comment though. ] The fuck d'you call not comin' out of the cargo hold for days then, huh? There somethin' down there that's really more interestin' than me an' Metalhead?

Yes.

[ a perfect lie, as long as she doesn't ask him what. marduk gives up on keeping metalhead off of him, instead opting to cross his arms to prevent any accidental toy-taking. marduk looks out over the railing. ] The real question is, what wouldn't be?

[ Metalhead then tries to get around this crossed arm business by shoving the slobbery toy into the crook of his elbow.

Also come on, she doesn't have to ask him what to know that it's total bullshit. Giving him an unimpressed uh huh, she sits herself down on the railing beside him. ] What, areya sayin' you just visit this world not 'cause your multidimensional best friend lives here, but because you like sight seein'? Specifically sight seein' boxes an' shit on board a pirate ship?

[ ugh, this dog. marduk turns away, leaning on the railing again, still refusing to interact in any meaningful way with the toy. he stares out to sea, the slightest offended huff rising up in response to apollo's words. ]

Didn't say any of that. Just because I don't want to watch you make your dog run back and forth in a line for hours-- [ he doesn't know where he's going with this, other than saying fetch is stupid. stop trying to make fetch happen. ] Whatever.

It's called fetch, how many times do I gotta tell you it's called fetch? It's a dog game. [ A dog game that Marduk does not seem interested in, so eventually Apollo takes over by taking the toy and throwing it to the other side of the deck in his place. ]

Glad t'see you're up an' about out in the sun, though. I know you like your beauty rest an' all but you're in the tropics now, y'gotta get some outdoors in you! Maybe get a bit of a tan, yeah?

Pass. [ tan? please. if he wasn't already frowning, he would be now. ] If I wanted that-- could find a better place than here, I think.

[ a place where he wouldn't be harassed by pirates around the clock, namely. speaking of-- marduk spares a quick glance around the deck before looking back out to sea. ] Where's the big one?

C'mon, you're in the best place for tannin', the fuck are you talking about. [ She doesn't actually expect an answer to that, mostly because she also doesn't actually expect that he wants a tan. Or has ever wanted a tan, for that matter. ]

Who, Mala? [ Shrug. ] Dunno, in town somewhere. Gettin' supplies for the ship an' shinies for me, possibly gamblin', possibly drinkin'. Why? Want him instead of me?

Don't say stupid shit. [ he snaps at her automatically, just out of habit-- then pauses, looking a bit caught off guard by his own vehemence. that's not what he wanted out of this. marduk sighs, running a hand through his hair. ] No. Just thinking.

[ another pause; this time, it's much longer. when he speaks again, it's hesitant and halting, like he's not quite sure of what he's asking. ] This happens... often, then? Him leaving. Like this. [ not that this has any effect on his life. like he said: he's just thinking. ]

Don't say stupid shit yourself.

[ Otherwise, him snapping at her doesn't seem to bother her. She's just kind of used to him being grumpy over little things, and she's happy to just sit beside him in the sun while she waits for him to say something more. ]

Yeah, I guess so. We don't gotta be together every second of the day, y'know. Sometimes he'll go do somethin', sometimes I'll go do somethin', depends on how we're feelin'. Long as we tell each other where we're off to, it ain't usually a problem. He'll come home to me by tonight, that's what matters.

Not saying he has to be around--- [ he's also not sure what he is trying to say, though. marduk makes a low noise, shoulders hunching as he leans further forward.

it would be nice to have apollo's confidence in things. ] But he does tell you, huh?

'course he does, we always tell each other that we're gonna go somewhere or do somethin' before we take off. Doesn't feel right to not to. What if somethin' happens, y'know? We keep each other safe that way. An' I mean, well, we both kinda fucked up before an' we don't wanna make the same mistake twice. [ They've both fucked up a lot in various ways, naturally, but she's thinking of something very specific, both about her past and his. ]

It kinda wasn't my fault, but when I came home an' realized time kept on goin', I kinda felt terrible. Don't tell him I toldya this, but he came real close to cryin' when he had me alone later.

[ it's hard not to laugh a little at that-- sorry malakai-- but it's short and ultimately doesn't last. marduk rests on the railing with a fist pressed to his mouth, eyes closed.

eventually he goes with, ] Good. [ for the first bit. it's not even sarcastic remark, either. when he continues, it's in a tone a little closer to the standard level of aggravation he operates at: ] And if that's how he acted when you were back again, imagine how bad it was looking for you.

He ain't like that with other people, but he gets soft with me. Romantic an' shit too, no one's loved me like he does, an' no one ever will.

[ Oversharing of personal feelings aside, Apollo glances over to laugh in the face of his grumpiness. ] What, you tryin' to tell me cried the whole time you two were lookin' for me? [ That she can't imagine. A little more seriously, though... ] He was upset, wasn't he? More than he's lettin' me know.

Yeah-- who wouldn't be? Upset or hiding it.

[ he shrugs, as though conceptually speaking it's not a big deal at all. ] The man has an image to maintain, you know.

Yeah, you're right. Thanks for stayin' with him though, kinda think he would've felt a whole lot worse if he were goin' it alone.

[ You know, moral support and all. She realizes there was no way that the two of them would have found her, considering where she was, but she is actually happy to know that Marduk and Malakai were working together in her absence. ]

Right, right, can't have a pirate lord weepin' over his missin' wife or anythin'. What about killin', did either of you haveta stab some folk on your adventure or what? Was it a grand adventure, didya do some bondin'? Malakai thinks of you as a friend of his own now, how 'bout you?

Of course-- we sent a couple old men falling down the stairs to their death, yeah? [ that comes with a pointed look. ] Would've thought you'd get the details from him already.

Especially if he's so eager to tell you about our "friendship." [ he scoffs with the last word, waving a dismissive hand. it's mostly for show; he glances away immediately after, uncomfortable with writing malakai off so thoroughly. ] ... He's alright.

Edited 2014-09-13 00:34 (UTC)

Aw, thought that was our thing. [ She's kidding, you guys can push old men down stairs all you want. ] Yeah, he's told me a lotta shit 'bout your little adventure, just wonderin' what you've got to say about it all. You're not gonna get sidetracked by tellin' me how much you missed me, I don't think.

[ Her face lights up with a smile when Marduk says Malakai is alright. That means a lot, coming from Marduk. ] Aw, see? Knew you boys could be friends if you just gave'im a chance. Mala ain't bad, an' this is comin' from someone he put a bounty on when we first met.

There's not much to say. [ they weren't even successful, you know? it was just a lot of time wasted-- apollo probably doesn't want to hear about that.

he folds his arms, grumbling. ] Just said he's alright. That doesn't mean anything special.

You two spent a month lookin' for me and possibly thinkin' I might've been dead or gone forever, there's a lotta stuff to say! [ And she wants to hear all of it. ]

Means somethin' special comin' from you, you hate everyone.

Isn't, and doesn't.

[ THAT'S ALL THERE IS TO SAY ABOUT THAT. (truthfully, he has a lot of choice words about how terrible it was to have to go searching for her ["terrible"] but if he said any of them, she might think he missed her or something.) when he thinks about it enough, marduk really gets even more offended by her insinuations-- ]

Not caring for people isn't the same as hating them. [ hate is a special word, mostly reserved for when he wakes up with apollo napping on top of him. ] Reading too much into it.

Yeah, yeah, whatever.

[ She doesn't much care for word choice, the important thing here is that Marduk seems to like Malakai, even if it's only a little bit. The two of them are special to her for different reasons, and it makes her happy to know they're getting along. ]

Just glad you like'im, is all. He's my husband an' you're my most favourite of friends, it's nice seein' you two bein' friendly with each other. Heartwarmin' an' all.

Never said I liked him, either--

[ flustered, he slams his mouth shut on the rest of his words, knowing it useless to argue. if apollo wants to keep that crazy idea in her head, then so be it. he'll never be the one to convince her otherwise.

he sighs. ] Whatever. Be heartwarmed.

Edited 2014-09-14 01:57 (UTC)

I will.

[ It's too late and it is indeed useless to argue, she's convinced that Marduk and Malakai are friends now and that's that. She certainly seems pleased about it though. ]

Y'should come by an' spend time with us more, we can do some adventurin' together. Hey, an' if you bring Vanadi with you for fuckin' once, we can make it like a couple's vacation, that'd be cute. I think Mala would get along with Vanadi too, so then we'd all be friends! We know the best beaches an' shit too, we could take both of you to some real nice spots. Hey, haveya ever fucked him on a beach before? 'cause lemme tell you, some beaches are definitely better than others for that kinda thing. [ If he doesn't stop her she's going to KEEP GOING ]

Edited 2014-09-14 02:14 (UTC)

[ somewhere in the middle of that unending slew of words, marduk pivots, clapping a hand over apollo's mouth; unfortunately, it's not soon enough to prevent her from asking after vanadi. he stares at her a long moment, eyebrows slowly furrowing.

after a moment of blessed silence, he releases her, wiping his hand off on his pants. eyes downcast, he keeps his gaze focused on the ground as he says-- without admonishment-- ] None of that is going to happen.

[ especially the beach fucking, jesus christ that sounds awful ]

[ She tries to keep on talking even after he's clapped a hand over her mouth, but the obstruction turns understandable words into muffled mumbling. And for a second she kind of considers licking his hand, just for shits and giggles, but luckily for him she decides to keep her tongue behind her teeth. ]

Why not? [ Frowning, she peers at him as he looks at the ground. ] C'mon, he'd like Ce Monde, an' it's always more fun to adventure with people you love, y'know.

Don't-- [ whatever that sentence would've been ends in a surly hiss instead, and marduk bares his teeth. clearly this is not a subject he wants to engage on.

it's a little too late for that, though, and he glares at apollo as though this is all her fault. (plot twist: for once, it actually is, at least in terms of this conversation.) ] Doesn't matter if he'd like the world if he doesn't--

[ that's a sentence he doesn't have the heart to complete. marduk falls silent, biting at the corner of his lip. ]

[ She is of course used to him hissing things at her and otherwise being grumpy and unfriendly, but very quickly even she finds there something to be a little... off in that reaction. Like there actually is something wrong, rather than him just pretending like there is. Certainly it isn't her fault though, and she can kind of pick out what (who) the real problem here is.

Leaning over into his personal space, Apollo asks, ] There's trouble in paradise, ain't there? [ That she can sympathize with. It isn't like her relationship with Malakai had the smoothest of beginnings, after all. ] What's goin' on?

It's not-- it's nothing.

[ this is the most convincing lie ever told.

naturally, marduk takes a step back from apollo when she leans in, one arm rising to shield him from her. the last thing he wants is to be interrogated, but that seems an uncomfortably likely outcome for where this conversation is headed.

time for a deflection. ] "Trouble in paradise?" What the fuck is that even supposed to mean?

[ It's bullshit is what it is, and now that she's caught on, she isn't going to let it go. ]

A relationship is paradise an' when you're fightin' then there's trouble in paradise, fuckin' keep up. [ But seriously though, she wants to know what's happening. Backing away from her is going to do him no good. ] How're you an' Vanadi doin'? You two doin' alright or is one or both of you bein' a dick? Someone's bein' a dick, yeah?

That's stupid. No. Everything's fine.

[ despite his relatively solid affirmations on the positive state of his relationship, marduk continues to edge away from apollo. he doesn't pause until he's at least out of immediate arm's reach, shifting from side to side; he never has been very good at committing himself to total silence. reticence is one thing, but this-- ]

I think he hates me. [ there. marduk wilts as soon as he's said it; he wraps his arms around himself despite it being perfectly warm outside. ] But--

It'll pass. Or it won't. [ from the sounds of it, he's already come to some conclusions about which one it is. ]

[ Apollo would have been happy to continue pestering him in annoying, playful ways, but when he finally, actually tells her what's on his mind - well, she kind of loses her smile. It's kind of hard to see him act like that. ]

What? Why d'you think that? [ He obviously wants his space, but Apollo is reluctant to really give it to him. Sliding off the rail and back onto her feet, she steps closer again, edging in until she is firmly back within arm's reach. Stop trying to run away from her, Marduk. ]

If everythin's fine then you wouldn't be thinkin' that. What's wrong? What's he doin'? Trouble ain't just gonna pass by itself, you gotta do somethin' an' talk to him about it.

Ah-- there's no point. [ more accurately, that's what he's afraid of. what if he does goto talk to him, actually admits how miserable he is without him-- and it doesn't matter? that would be worse than anything, he thinks. better to keep his mouth shut than to risk hearing that's the truth.

marduk raises his head, not quite looking at apollo, staring at some distant point over her shoulder. ] It's not even really that, you know? Trouble. So-- [ he trails off with a shrug. it's hard to defend inaction but he's certainly sticking to his guns today. ]

Then what is it then, huh?

[ Nope, she's not buying it. She doesn't know what's happening between Marduk and Vanadi, obviously, and it's so damn difficult to get anything out of him that she isn't sure she can even manage to get him to talk to her - but that isn't stopping her from trying. Stepping to the side, trying to put herself right in his line of vision even as he tries to look elsewhere, Apollo gives him a very honest look. ]

Me an' Mala used to fight, a lot. An' we were off an' on, 'cause we weren't dealin' with our bullshit. Just ignorin' it, hopin' it would go away and things would work out on their own, but they didn't. We had to work at this, we wouldn't be married an' happy with each other now if we didn't. Ain't you willin' to work with Vanadi?

Have you considered that maybe-- if he does hate me-- I would want to fucking know?

[ his gaze snaps back to her at that last part, the question, where he's actually yelling-- and still he backs away, up against the railing and snarling like a cornered animal. one of his hands finds the rail and he digs his claws into it, scoring deep gashes into the wood. ] I can't fucking live with that, Apollo! How could I--

[ marduk is fully aware of how childish he sounds. unfortunately, the realization only serves to make him more defensive, and he spits a curse at the deck from his native tongue. ]

[ Any other time and she'd be complaining that he's ruining her perfect ship and hassling him about it, but right now, she doesn't even notice the torn up state of the wood. All she sees is an alarmingly distraught Marduk who, for once, is actually letting her in - he's yelling at her, sure, but he's being honest all the same. And it keeps her quiet while he yells and curses because no, she hadn't considered that he doesn't want to know. ]

Marduk, hey, calm down. [ Apollo telling someone to calm down is kind of absurd, but she's standing her ground anyway. ] Doin' it your way ain't gonna resolve anythin'. I told you, problems just don't fuckin' fix themselves. You thinkin' he hates you is a problem, if you don't talk to him, then what's gonna have to happen to make it better, huh? Why d'you think he hates you?

Shut up! I am calm-- [ isn't that obvious from the yelling? marduk puts his hands over his face, pressing the heels of his palms into his eyes. ugh. he hates it when apollo points something out that's right-- he really does need to take a step back, here, even if he's loathe to listen to her.

he pauses to breathe-- for a while, before dropping his hands and straightening up a little. marduk looks apollo dead in the eye at first (twice in one day? a record) but can't maintain it; he looks away, stewing over the answer to her questions.

he's not even going to address the first one, that one gets dismissed as being definitely rhetorical, and also definitely something he doesn't want to think about. he crosses his arms, still feeling defensive-- and a bit stupid-- as he talks. ] I don't know. It's nothing. He leaves-- he comes back, but he doesn't stay-- we may as well be strangers. [ by now, he is properly calm. his voice is tired and dull, though, much as before: the sound of someone resigned to a depressing inevitable. ]

[ Part of her thinks of dragging him into a hug since he kind of seems like he could use one, but ultimately, she simply stands with him instead. She'll let him cycle through the motions, the thoughts, the feelings, let him breathe before she tries to smother him again.

And with that explanation, she suddenly understands now why he had been asking about Malakai. ]

D'you ever say anythin' when he comes back? When he leaves? Does he say anythin'? How long does he go for, an' what's he like when he comes back?

[ His voice strikes her as so... god, it's so sad, and although she doesn't go for a hug, she does reach out and place her hand on his arm. She's right here, and even though her advice may not always be the greatest, she's here for him. So talk to her. ]

[ he stares at her hand for a moment, trying to decide if he should brush her off or not. that's not worth the battle in the end; not as much as deflecting her questions is. in the end, after all her prying, he only shakes his head. the details aren't important. probably. if they are-- well, he's about hit his limit for questioning anyway. ]

Forget I said anything. [ she won't, but maybe she'll get the hint enough to back off. ]

[ There is no way she's going to forget all of that. And she knows that he wants her to back off, but he always wants her to back off and give him space, so it's with great restraint that she simply frowns at him instead of barking back at him. For the moment. ]

I'm tryin' to help. [ Whether he wants her help or not. ] Vanadi's special to you an' you're barely tryin' to fix your problems 'cause you'd rather stick your head in the sand an' hope things turn out alright all on their own. If you really want things to get better then you gotta think about 'em an' figure out what's happenin', that's why I'm askin' everything I'm askin'!

I'll think about them without you shouting at me, thanks. [ file that under 'things that'll never happen.' this time marduk does push apollo's hand away; he's just done, done indulging her and done committing a single second's pause to this subject.

he knows she's going to keep charging forward with her well-meaning counters to his protests, so he holds a hand up to preempt her. ] Don't.

[ the retort is going to come anyway, he knows that too. that's why he's already moving past her, out onto the main part of the deck, away from a space where she can pin him down and force him to talk. they're done here. ]

I'm not shouting at you!! [ She's just loud at all times, obviously. When her hand gets pushed away, then she shouts at him. ] Marduk!

[ He's right about Apollo wanting to keep charging forward, so the hand is a good call on his part. Apollo doesn't appreciate it though, and she's left huffing and frowning and feeling very much like her very good advice is being thrown right back in her face. But fine, is he wants to run away, she'll let him. It's not like he has anywhere else to fucking go anyway. ]

Fine! See if I ever fuckin' try to help you again, you big ungrateful baby.

irritating & oversleeps

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I AM SO SICK OF HTML WHY THE FUCK DID I EVER USE AN ITALICS TAG IN MY LIFE

too late now italics 4 lyfe

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