those problems were a little unusual. At the end of the day she was rewarded by the sight of the little demon sitting, not on Joyce's shoulder, but on the paperweight on her desk, looking thoroughly frustrated.
Sorry 'bout that , Jin said.
WE'RE ON THE SAME SIDE, BELIEVE IT OR NOT. I'LL JUST BE BACK TOMORROW, the demon said grimly.
So will I , Jin said, and cut him off again. The door to their office opened and Frank strolled in. Jin hurried up to meet him before Joyce could get up.
"My apologies, Immanent -- "
"Jin," she corrected in a harsh whisper.
"Again, my apologies. I forgot. About the shadow -- " he began, but now Joyce was there.
"Jin, you've been holding out on me. Who's this?"
Jin thought quickly. "This is Frank...Celeste. He's a friend of mine."
Joyce smiled and nodded. "About damn time, too. Hi, I'm Joyce Masters," she said. "Jin has told me absolutely nothing about you."
"Pleased to meet you," said Frank, looking a little nervous. He glanced at Jin who shook her head slightly. She mouthed the word "careful."
"So. How long have you two been seeing each other?" Joyce asked.
"Just a few days," Jin said before Frank could answer. "I met him in the library. I've been doing some personal research."
Joyce glanced from one to the other. "Riiight. Well, time to go. You two have fun." Joyce pulled Jin aside as they left, whispering. "Tomorrow I will have details or else."
Jin just nodded, wondering what sort of details she'd have to make up. Maybe Frank couldn't lie but there was nothing to stop Jin from doing so, even if she didn't feel right about it. It's not as if she could give Joyce the true story.
"Let's walk," Jin said to Frank when Joyce had left. They set out down Pepper Street toward Elysium. Frank looked confused.
"What was this Joyce person talking about?"
Jin stifled a grin. "She thinks we're a couple."
Frank blinked. "A couple of what?"
"Lovers," Jin said, and Frank actually blushed. Jin thought this was the cutest thing she had seen in weeks.
"We must correct this misapprehension," Frank said and started to turn around, but Jin pulled him back.
"No, that is one thing we must not do. I've been thinking about this a bit. I can't operate openly as Guan Yin. The people of this Hell would try to lock me up for a loon, and then how would I function? No. As long as you're with me, we need a cover story, and this is it: you're my boyfriend."
"But I'm not -- "
Jin raised a hand. "I know. I also know that it's not your nature to lie, according to that other Guan Yin. However, I already know you can withhold information and refuse to answer."
"Well... yes."
She nodded. "That's all I'm asking now. Try not to reveal your true nature or the nature of our relationship unless there's no alternative. Ok?"
"I will do my best," he said. "The appearance of carnality has precedent."
Jin stopped so suddenly that Frank had taken a couple of steps past her before he realized.
"Now what are you talking about?" she asked.
"Just that there were traditional aspects of your divine self that used your beauty as an enticement, though to tempt men to the True Path rather than toward their baser natures."
"Frank, are you saying that in some times and places I'm essentially a Divine Cock Tease?"
Frank looked horrified. "If I understand the term correctly, certainly not. You are blameless, Jin. Your nature does not change and is always pure, but human perceptions are faulty at best, and it's possible for anyone's actions to be misinterpreted. You always act for the good."
"Maybe, but right now there's a great deal of me that's not divine at all. I'd remember that if I were you. There's also a saying here, that 'the road to hell is paved with good intentions.' I'm betting that things don't always turn out right, no matter how good my actions are; that's common sense."
"It's hard to say how anything has turned out, when so much has yet to be decided," Frank said, "even -- " He stopped.
Jin saw a thread of
Sorry 'bout that , Jin said.
WE'RE ON THE SAME SIDE, BELIEVE IT OR NOT. I'LL JUST BE BACK TOMORROW, the demon said grimly.
So will I , Jin said, and cut him off again. The door to their office opened and Frank strolled in. Jin hurried up to meet him before Joyce could get up.
"My apologies, Immanent -- "
"Jin," she corrected in a harsh whisper.
"Again, my apologies. I forgot. About the shadow -- " he began, but now Joyce was there.
"Jin, you've been holding out on me. Who's this?"
Jin thought quickly. "This is Frank...Celeste. He's a friend of mine."
Joyce smiled and nodded. "About damn time, too. Hi, I'm Joyce Masters," she said. "Jin has told me absolutely nothing about you."
"Pleased to meet you," said Frank, looking a little nervous. He glanced at Jin who shook her head slightly. She mouthed the word "careful."
"So. How long have you two been seeing each other?" Joyce asked.
"Just a few days," Jin said before Frank could answer. "I met him in the library. I've been doing some personal research."
Joyce glanced from one to the other. "Riiight. Well, time to go. You two have fun." Joyce pulled Jin aside as they left, whispering. "Tomorrow I will have details or else."
Jin just nodded, wondering what sort of details she'd have to make up. Maybe Frank couldn't lie but there was nothing to stop Jin from doing so, even if she didn't feel right about it. It's not as if she could give Joyce the true story.
"Let's walk," Jin said to Frank when Joyce had left. They set out down Pepper Street toward Elysium. Frank looked confused.
"What was this Joyce person talking about?"
Jin stifled a grin. "She thinks we're a couple."
Frank blinked. "A couple of what?"
"Lovers," Jin said, and Frank actually blushed. Jin thought this was the cutest thing she had seen in weeks.
"We must correct this misapprehension," Frank said and started to turn around, but Jin pulled him back.
"No, that is one thing we must not do. I've been thinking about this a bit. I can't operate openly as Guan Yin. The people of this Hell would try to lock me up for a loon, and then how would I function? No. As long as you're with me, we need a cover story, and this is it: you're my boyfriend."
"But I'm not -- "
Jin raised a hand. "I know. I also know that it's not your nature to lie, according to that other Guan Yin. However, I already know you can withhold information and refuse to answer."
"Well... yes."
She nodded. "That's all I'm asking now. Try not to reveal your true nature or the nature of our relationship unless there's no alternative. Ok?"
"I will do my best," he said. "The appearance of carnality has precedent."
Jin stopped so suddenly that Frank had taken a couple of steps past her before he realized.
"Now what are you talking about?" she asked.
"Just that there were traditional aspects of your divine self that used your beauty as an enticement, though to tempt men to the True Path rather than toward their baser natures."
"Frank, are you saying that in some times and places I'm essentially a Divine Cock Tease?"
Frank looked horrified. "If I understand the term correctly, certainly not. You are blameless, Jin. Your nature does not change and is always pure, but human perceptions are faulty at best, and it's possible for anyone's actions to be misinterpreted. You always act for the good."
"Maybe, but right now there's a great deal of me that's not divine at all. I'd remember that if I were you. There's also a saying here, that 'the road to hell is paved with good intentions.' I'm betting that things don't always turn out right, no matter how good my actions are; that's common sense."
"It's hard to say how anything has turned out, when so much has yet to be decided," Frank said, "even -- " He stopped.
Jin saw a thread of
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