Luv. Close your Eye and open your eyes. It's time to wake up."
(())
Chapter 8
Jin dragged herself out of bed when the alarm rang, though she didn't remember much of what happened right after that. She had some vague memory of cooking breakfast, then a slightly less vague memory of an argument with Frank the Celestial Youth when she sent him out to locate Shiro.
"I'm not sure that's wise," he had said.
"I'm not sure I care at the moment," she said. "I'm not supposed to look for him. Did the previous me command you not to look for him?"
"Well...no."
"Then do it," Jin said. "Don't confront him, don't attack him, don't even get near him if you don't have to. I just want to know where he is."
Frank put on his nice leather jacket and left. Jin poured herself a third cup of black coffee and got ready for work. It occurred to her that the idea of having someone entirely at her at her disposal was a very strange one, and that it should be making her a lot more uncomfortable than it was. Yet any help she could get, she wanted.
Jin sipped her coffee, now wondering when her other promised assistant was going to show up... what was her name again? Dragon Princess? Something like that.
Jin had halfway expected to run into Teacher again on her way to work, but there was no sign of him. She arrived barely on time to find Joyce already there. She waved hello and then went to her own desk.
The demon was still there, but Jin hadn't really expected otherwise. She ignored him and he went on with his work. Joyce, for her part, looking rather pensive but not particularly angry or upset. They worked in silence for a while, but Jin could only stand so much of this. She knew the demon was there. There had to be a reason.
"Feeling better today?" Jin asked finally.
Joyce frowned. "Hmmm? What are you talking about?"
"You were a little spaced out the last time I saw you. Thought perhaps there was something wrong."
"Oh. Not really. I mean, the usual."
Jin hesitated. "I know what 'the usual' means in my case. What's the usual for you?"
Joyce didn't say anything for several long moments. "You just askin', or do you really want to know?"
"I really want to know."
"I threw Lucius out. Third time this year. It's getting old, to tell it plain."
Jin sighed. "Joyce, you don't have to tell me the reason you threw Lucius out if you don't want to, but I'm guessing it's not too far from all the other times?"
"Got that right, girl."
"Then I understand why you threw him out. What I don't get is why you let him back in."
HEY, WHAT YOU DOING? Jin heard the demon's voice in her head.
I'm being a friend .
DON'T HAND ME THAT. YOU'RE INTERFERING!
Damn right, and as completely and deeply as possible. Listen to me, imp, cause I'm not going to repeat this -- we both have a job to do. You do yours the way you think best, but don't presume to tell me how to do mine .
BUT --
Jin cut him off. She'd rather suspected that she could do that. She was pleased to be right. The demon on Joyce's shoulder looked annoyed, but he finally shrugged and went back to whispering.
Joyce, oblivious to all this, shook her head. "Listen Jin, you're a nice kid and all, but you're young and cute and you have no idea what it's like for someone like me."
"You're right," Jin said. "I also don't pretend to be the smartest person in the world, or even in this office, but I can listen."
Joyce smiled a tentative smile. "Tell you what -- finish logging those eviction notices before half of downtown Medias is out on the street, and we'll talk. 'Kay?"
"'Kay."
They did talk for a good bit of the afternoon. It wasn't much that Jin hadn't heard before, at least in bits and pieces, but Jin had the distinct feeling that Joyce talking about it mattered more than Jin listening. Joyce clearly needed someone to listen, and had needed that someone for quite some time. Jin was more than a little chagrined that she had been too distracted by her own problems to notice, even granted that
(())
Chapter 8
Jin dragged herself out of bed when the alarm rang, though she didn't remember much of what happened right after that. She had some vague memory of cooking breakfast, then a slightly less vague memory of an argument with Frank the Celestial Youth when she sent him out to locate Shiro.
"I'm not sure that's wise," he had said.
"I'm not sure I care at the moment," she said. "I'm not supposed to look for him. Did the previous me command you not to look for him?"
"Well...no."
"Then do it," Jin said. "Don't confront him, don't attack him, don't even get near him if you don't have to. I just want to know where he is."
Frank put on his nice leather jacket and left. Jin poured herself a third cup of black coffee and got ready for work. It occurred to her that the idea of having someone entirely at her at her disposal was a very strange one, and that it should be making her a lot more uncomfortable than it was. Yet any help she could get, she wanted.
Jin sipped her coffee, now wondering when her other promised assistant was going to show up... what was her name again? Dragon Princess? Something like that.
Jin had halfway expected to run into Teacher again on her way to work, but there was no sign of him. She arrived barely on time to find Joyce already there. She waved hello and then went to her own desk.
The demon was still there, but Jin hadn't really expected otherwise. She ignored him and he went on with his work. Joyce, for her part, looking rather pensive but not particularly angry or upset. They worked in silence for a while, but Jin could only stand so much of this. She knew the demon was there. There had to be a reason.
"Feeling better today?" Jin asked finally.
Joyce frowned. "Hmmm? What are you talking about?"
"You were a little spaced out the last time I saw you. Thought perhaps there was something wrong."
"Oh. Not really. I mean, the usual."
Jin hesitated. "I know what 'the usual' means in my case. What's the usual for you?"
Joyce didn't say anything for several long moments. "You just askin', or do you really want to know?"
"I really want to know."
"I threw Lucius out. Third time this year. It's getting old, to tell it plain."
Jin sighed. "Joyce, you don't have to tell me the reason you threw Lucius out if you don't want to, but I'm guessing it's not too far from all the other times?"
"Got that right, girl."
"Then I understand why you threw him out. What I don't get is why you let him back in."
HEY, WHAT YOU DOING? Jin heard the demon's voice in her head.
I'm being a friend .
DON'T HAND ME THAT. YOU'RE INTERFERING!
Damn right, and as completely and deeply as possible. Listen to me, imp, cause I'm not going to repeat this -- we both have a job to do. You do yours the way you think best, but don't presume to tell me how to do mine .
BUT --
Jin cut him off. She'd rather suspected that she could do that. She was pleased to be right. The demon on Joyce's shoulder looked annoyed, but he finally shrugged and went back to whispering.
Joyce, oblivious to all this, shook her head. "Listen Jin, you're a nice kid and all, but you're young and cute and you have no idea what it's like for someone like me."
"You're right," Jin said. "I also don't pretend to be the smartest person in the world, or even in this office, but I can listen."
Joyce smiled a tentative smile. "Tell you what -- finish logging those eviction notices before half of downtown Medias is out on the street, and we'll talk. 'Kay?"
"'Kay."
They did talk for a good bit of the afternoon. It wasn't much that Jin hadn't heard before, at least in bits and pieces, but Jin had the distinct feeling that Joyce talking about it mattered more than Jin listening. Joyce clearly needed someone to listen, and had needed that someone for quite some time. Jin was more than a little chagrined that she had been too distracted by her own problems to notice, even granted that
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