(too late) you're at the party

[scouserer]

[Well, it's safe to say that trial fucking sucked. Therefore, some sort of afterparty is in order. Constantine is admittedly not good at throwing parties without some sort of liquor or other drug involved, but that's where Data and Sylvando guide him.

First order of business--invites. Upon returning to your rooms, crumpled pieces of paper have been taped to the doors. Written in poor handwriting is the following:]

meet at the lounge
bring whatever you want
[Simple, but effective. The lounge itself has been livened up a bit with Sylvando's help. Some nicely patterned fabric has been draped around on the tables to liven up the place a little, and snacks from the café and vending machines have been placed out for people to peruse.

A few supplies from the first aid room have been gathered, as well, for those who may need it. But perhaps the help is unnecessary, as tomorrow will likely bring another New Years Eve. And with it, another week of despair and frustration.

But for now, they can forget about that and pretend that all that matters is the present.]

Comments

cw: smoking

[scouserer]

[Ever since Constantine got his memory back, he's been trying to go about things normally. Mingling with the other people in the lounge, occasionally dipping to the cafe to grab more snacks, and generally keeping out of the way. Guilt is a familiar feeling to him, after all, and he's used to quashing it down. But the memory, fresh in his mind, seems to reopen a wound that has scarred over long ago. The guilt of having forgotten gnaws at him, causing his mood to deteriorate throughout the night.

Logically, he knows it couldn't have been helped. The Captain had his way, and there was nothing he could do about it. But brains are rarely preoccupied with things such as logic or facts when it's easier to run yourself in circles.

At the beginning of the night, Constantine can be found in the lounge, sitting backwards in his chair and staring blankly ahead of him. In front of him is a matchbox and the pack of cigarettes he obtained from Flayn, unopened.

His fingers twitch. He opens the package with shaking hands, taking one of the cigarettes and lighting it with a match. He sticks it between his teeth and inhales a lungful of nicotine, visibly relaxing as he does so.]

Christ. Never wanna go through that again.

[Later on, he excuses himself to go and sit by the pool, as if that would somehow calm the thoughts racing in his brain. He's lighting matches, letting them burn for a bit, and then flicking them into the water, watching them extinguish before his eyes. He doesn't even look up when approached.]

The Captain can go and eat a soggy dick. [He scowls, throwing another match into the pool.] What gives him the right to mess with our brains? I've got enough brain damage as is--I don't need some cunt who thinks he's better than everyone else givin' me any more.

pool

[silentscout]

[Flick, burn, drop, extinguish. It's a rhythm that is predictable and keeps Lalli quiet for a bit, until Constantine talks.]

Mmm. It's annoying.

[What an understatement.]

[scouserer]

[Constantine lets out a small snort.]

I wish annoying was the most of it.

[He flicks a non-lit match into the pool, then pauses, apparently realizing his error.]

What's stopping him from just calling it here, huh? He's clearly got the power to kill us all at any point. Is this some sort of...sort of gristly entertainment?

[silentscout]

Yes.

[It's such a simple answer, and Lalli doesn't really elaborate on it. Constantine can fill in the blanks there anyway.]

[scouserer]

[Constantine can't help but let out a half-laugh, half snort at that response.]

Verbose. Thanks for your input.

[.....]

What did you get back, anyways?

[silentscout]

'Get back'?

[Sure, Lalli can be vague, but he's going to ask for clarification from Constantine.]

[scouserer]

You know. The memories the Captain filched.

[silentscout]

Oh.

[His expression drops, and he pulls his hood on to partiallycover his head like he's hiding.]

I got it back.

[scouserer]

[Constantine studies Lalli, his head tilted to the side.]

Wasn't very pleasant, I take it.

pool

[hypnowhip]

[They saw a lot of each other at the gathering, but that also means Sylvando's been witness to Constantine's mood worsening throughout it. After contemplating it for a bit, he leaves Data to keep watch over things as he goes to check in on him.

When he does finally find Constantine, he's greeted with...that. Normally he'd be a little aghast at such language, but tonight? Nah.

He plops down next to Constantine.]

Oh, go off, honey. I'm so tired of his nonsense.

[Please do all the swearing for him Constantine, I am contractually forbidden from letting Sylvando swear. He absolutely would be, though.]

[scouserer]

[Let's be real--Constantine swears on behalf of this entire ship. It takes a Scouser to really come up with all the biting, expletive-laden insults. He snorts, flicking another match into the pool.]

Honestly, if he weren't so much of a coward, I would've had at him already. [He exhales sharply.] Had no qualms with him before arriving on this stupid ship, but now I've got a bloody tome's worth of complaints.

[....]

He must get some sort of perverted pleasure seeing us all suffer like this.

[hypnowhip]

I think there's a line for that at this point...

[Maybe that's what golden end will be if we get it. Everyone just taking turns punching the Captain.

Sylvando's joking dies down after that, though.]

I think he does. While we were trying to subdue Allenby, I heard him... He was cheering the fight on like it was some sort of spectacle. He's truly horrible.

[scouserer]

[please. god. constantine would kick his ass, even though he's not much of a fighter. he'll just be fueled by pure spite.

Still--what Sylvando says makes Constantine sit up, more attentive than before.]

Did you see that person off-screen during the execution? Y'think that was the Captain?

[hypnowhip]

Oh! Yes! I'd almost forgotten about that...!

[Considering everything else going on during that trial.]

I have no idea who else it could be. He seemed terribly out of place aboard the Dutchman, don't you think?

[scouserer]

[Constantine nods, scratching his chin and frowning.]

Does make me wonder what kind of hold he has on Davy Jones and his crew, if he's able to go about so freely.

[.....]

If we can just figure out how to get Mr. Jones out of his...contract, so to say-- [he doesn't know if its a contract he just knows that jones is under the captain's orders] --we could get him to practically obliterate him.

[hypnowhip]

That really does sound like our best bet at this point, doesn't it? Davy darling is the only one who can get close to him right now.

[Sylvando crosses his arms thoughtfully.]

He almost made it sound literal, didn't he? Owning Davy darling, that is. I wonder if it's a spell of some sort? I've heard of contractual spells before...

[scouserer]

It's definitely possible. Demons are big fans of contracts--but s'not just demons, obviously.

[He couldn't have entered it willingly, at least.]

The sea's a fickle creature. It'd be quite a lot of effort to put him under a spell. Though, I've heard of some entities having some sort of obligation to do certain things, so maybe he might've been trapped that way.

...I doubt he has the freedom to speak on it, anyways. But each week, I feel like we're getting closer to something.

pool

[conceivesfrenzy]

Oh, please. Like you'd even notice.

[ It's more or less exactly what she said when she beaned him in the head with Decus' phone, but. Whatever. He should just be glad she's not hitting him with any of the junk that she's throwing overboard not too far away from the pool. ]

[scouserer]

But that's the thing--I don't know if I would notice. S'not like me memory's etched in stone, and who knows? Maybe I've already forgotten some important shit without the Captain's help.

[An almost fearful tone enters his voice as he speaks. He trails off, perhaps aware that, in his anger, he's been more vulnerable. He clears his throat, his expression hardening.]

Whatever. The moment this man shows his face, I'm gonna bust his fuckin' kneecaps.

[conceivesfrenzy]

[ Alice pauses when Constantine mentions forgetting things without the Captain's help, and turns slightly when he trails off. She purses her lips, before turning back and throwing something else. ]

Worrying about the past is a waste of time. All you need to worry about is yourself as you are now, and how you're going to move forward. Dwelling on all that isn't healthy.

[ Says the one who freaked out about her own lost memory, but. Whatever. ]

its fine i got like 209348 notifs from the afterparty anyways

[scouserer]

[He grumbles.]

Yeah, yeah, I know that. Easier fucking said than done.

[Especially when you usually have the literal ghosts of your past mistakes haunting you at every step. Here, though--the silence is almost eerie. He pauses, striking a match against the box. It snaps in half between his fingers.]

Is that what you're gonna do?

[conceivesfrenzy]

What makes you think that's not what I've been doing this whole time?

[scouserer]

[He puts his hands up in a defensive gesture, looking away from Alice.]

Just askin'. Especially after...y'know.

[After she got piled on at the trial.]

[conceivesfrenzy]

[ She laughs, chucking a BBQ sauce bottle over the edge. ]

If this some kind of apology, it's not a very good one.

[ Reika let her knife her a little! That's where the bar is set, if he wants to partake! :) ]

I'm probably not going to let that go for awhile, if that's what you mean. I know where I stand with everyone else.

[scouserer]

S'not an apology. Just a comment.

[He has nothing to apologize for, in his opinion. He'll say sorry when he's actually feeling guilt.]

I wouldn't blame you for being mad. But it's exactly what the Captain wants--for people to argue over stupid shit, slip up, and then die.