Friendship Park

[Dirt Nap]

Dirt Nap smiles. "Well." He says.

"I could be wrong, but I get the suspicion you have some training and inclination to deal with normal folks, who have parts of their mind giving them trouble." Dirt Nap remarks.

"You should know, doc, that I don't consider the thing that's giving me the trouble to be a part of me that I can make peace with." He says. "I suppose that's not a new thing for you though, pretty common for people to try to seperate out the ugly parts, what they think is bad, and say it's not them." Dirt Nap muses.

"But for you and me...I have to wonder how long you've had to figure things out, doc." Dirt Nap wonders. "It's generally pretty clear, pretty quick that there's a thing that wasn't there before, trying to take over, and that it's going to win out eventually, and from time to time." Dirt Nap says speculatively, "That's suggest to me you're either pretty new, or pretty stubborn about looking at new things in old ways."

"That's the thing I fight, and sometimes work real hard to find another way to do what I have to do, when I have to do it, just to avoid giving it a win. Not because I think it makes me good, but because I think it helps keep me, me."

Oh yeah, totally messed it up, sorry! Not the first time either. The CJ JC thing confused me! Now I am not sure I'll keep it straight even when we get JC calling my character Dirt Nap. I'll try though!

[JC Smith]

“Therapist,” JC says at near subvocal. It almost catches in his throat “And no… not long since…,”CJ could take that as his will. Though dismissal was the more likely option.

His eyes stayed on Dirt Nap, while at the same time unfocusing so he could monitor the peripheral. The Beast, not sure what was going on was agitated. Without an actual adversary he could keep it down for.

“Maybe that makes me naïve, but so far I’m not convinced that any new element can’t be handled through normal means. Mental illness transcends boundaries. At least as far as I’ve found. We’re all animals after all. I’ve seen things… parts… most wouldn’t recognize.” Not even vampires. Even within this conversation. ‘Insanities’ that general society chose to ignore. “Even within themselves.” And that was discounting most medications the mortal world had come up with to combat mental illness.

“It’s not.. separating ugly parts. It’s seeing what their role is.” It was much more than that, even the ‘positive feelings’. "How the things you do make sense in context of who you are."

The dismissal of ‘new things’ hurt but wasn’t unexpected. Though he’d heard it from Invictus than Dracul.

Another pause. JC felt like he was older and yet younger at the same time. It was all so dismissive and yet slightly cruel. So far JC had found very few willing to admit it. Most viewed mortaility as something in the past. Not a source of being depressed; suicidal, addicted. The Kindred rarely (or at least admittedly) Embraced such Childer. JC was 'lucky' that way. A test to see of Gangrel survival instinct.

[Dirt Nap]

Dirt Nap nods, listening.

He chuckles at something but doesn’t say anything for about a quarter mile of walking. “If you believe in God, you’d be thankful we two met up before you came to...well let’s just say I am not really typical in my trying not to be offended.” Dirt Nap says. “In fact I get called naive from time to time, really I offer it up as a possibility, and some agree.”

”The man before me was a young man and a student, studying to be a minister.” Dirt Nap says. “There was some study of family counseling in there for good measure. But most of what I remember about therapy came after a terminal diagnosis of inoperable cancer. The stubborn way the man stuck to his guns, not only fighting for every last breath, but spending his breath on treating other people decent no matter how tired and pained he was...that caught the attention of the one that made me.” Dirt Nap says.

”So I would be the last one to judge you. I would offer you some advice though, not to tell anyone else what diagnosis you have about them. Oh and while I’m giving out advice you didn’t ask for, for heaven’s sake don’t even think the word, ‘my’.”

[JC Smith]

They walked in silence for a while. In fact he was a bit surprised when Dirt Nap started up again. Especially when he came forward with the story of going to therapy as part of having terminal cancer. It might have been a lie but Dirt Nap’s story was remarkably similar to JC’s. Or least the part about why they had been chosen. JC’s sire hadn’t really stuck around but the figure sounded eerily identical as far as motivation. He wondered briefly if they could be the same or if it was simply a trait amongst the Gangrel who reproduced.

He nodded at the comment about Kindred trying to be offended. It happened a lot and it did tie in with the caution not to ‘diagnose’ anyone. As if pretending there wasn’t a problem made it go away. Another common reaction between Kindred and Kine.

However, one thing he didn’t understand.

“Don’t use the word ‘my’?” He wasn’t quite sure of the context of the advise or how it fit in with what was being talked about. It didn't sound like a joke but JC didn't have a good grasp of the man's tells to be sure. “Why?”

[Dirt Nap]

Dirt Nap looks very sober. "Well, I told you that the leader is a family member. That's true, but she's also a big believer in the type of manners that I can't hardly follow, myself. When I showed up first, I made the mistake of saying 'my' in front of a title, and apparently that's a mortal insult. I was quick to offer up a favor, after saying I was sorry, to show I really meant it. That got me through, but it was touch and go. I've seen it happen a few times since, and I wouldn't dare push it right now. Honestly, I think the effort of thinking about the words I plan to say enough to not say that word at all, for the whole night, wouldn't be too much effort, if you mean it about surviving being your main aim."

[JC Smith]

JC considered for a moment. It still didn’t make sense to him, why someone would be insulted by the use of ‘my’. Then again, without being able to ask the Archbishop (or Prince or whatever title they used) he probably wouldn’t be able to puzzle it out. Everyone’s mind worked in different ways. Though he did find it troubling that the Domain’s leader seemed (at least at first) to have such arbitrary triggers since it didn't speak well to their mental state.

"I'll keep that in mind. Thanks," he said in gratitude. It was such a common word he had little doubt he would have stumbled upon it if not warned.

As they reached the edge of the park a silence fell that border mostly on the easy. Davis was still a ways away but JC was content with what he had learned (and revealed) so far. He was confident he'd survive the night. Or at least the next four hours. He didn't need to focus on court right now and the dangers that would present themselves then. He'd met his goals for tonight and for now that was enough.

Thanks bunches for the scene. I'll close tomorrow when I wake up in case you want to reply

[Dirt Nap]

Dirt Nap nods once, and then he seems content to travel in silence the rest of the way!

Thanks for the awesome scene!