2.11 I Protest

Jet holds a protest in France, and the French people totally fall for it.

Things are not green enough, we need more rocks! Rocks are great!

((these lime green eyes show up in my game around this time, but I can't think of anyone I put in the bin with them, do random, vivid colors sometimes get generated?))

Jyoti attends, but mostly because she couldn't stay in that sweltering kitchen for another second. It was, as they say, too hot for her. The breeze outside is perfect, and the perfect place to feel complete numbness.

He didn't look at all like the person she knew. Desire and disdain swirled thinly below the surface of his features while he talked with her mom. His voice, so usually soothing, became something invasive and cold.

'Creatures of the night... are not improved upon in the daylight.' She thinks the quote is from an old book. It's the first time, she realizes, that she's ever thought of Loki as something not human.

Loki leans in and Meghan must be able to feel his breath cold on her neck. To her credit, she remains unmoved. “You don't have to stay like you are.” He tells her.

“You don't have to stay in this aging body with a broken mind, wondering if you'll ever come up for air. Think of it. You could be like I am, Meghan...” He trails off, knowing that nothing he will say today will reach her. Hoping to plant the seed anyways. “You could watch over your precious family for a very, very long time, to guide them, to know them. To see what they become.”

“The actual difference between you and I, Loki, is that I know when to take my medication.” Meghan responds back indifferently.

Dustin just holds his daughter up. Knowing that she felt shame, knowing that she had been betrayed in such a public way. Knowing that she was finding out some very important things about what it was like to be an adult, in this insane world. Knowing that it was raw. She suspected, at the time, that he was feeling a small amount of the same things.

Dustin lets Meghan handle things for awhile, even though it's already gone too far for his tastes. He wanted to know his wife's answer, although he trusts her completely.

“Maybe you could go and check on Jet, for me?” He finally asks Jyoti in a gentle voice. It's a way out from this moment, and she takes it. Loki watches her leave, but does nothing to stop her.

Christian had followed afterwards, worrying over her man and forgetting her spaghetti at the hostel. So, Jyoti and Christian end up watching Jet piddle the afternoon away like a man possessed. Christian... doesn't seem to know what was really going on in the kitchen, but Jyoti knows now.

Her mind flashes back to sometime long ago when Malcolm, desperate for her not to get on a Ferry, pleaded that she didn't follow Loki's voice.

How sweet that voice was, in the darkness of her youth, a lilting cadence to comfort, and a balm to sooth. She resisted, but it was only a matter of time.

...Why did he not take her with him then?

He could have done... anything. But instead he'd played so many games.

Jet is under that influence now. Jyoti swallows a lump in her throat, trying not to worry as old memories resurface. If Loki wanted to hurt her brother, he would have.

That's when she realizes it. Malcolm. He left her there, at the pier alone, because of Malcolm. Loki backed off... because he had been alive to stop it. Even when she screamed at him, and pushed him away.

She could have hit Malcolm many times over for not possessing the same quality of speech as the confident young apparition of her imagination. For not being able to hold on to her tighter, but he would never have... tricked her into liking him.

Now, even her memories of Malcolm, are somehow tainted because of Loki.

*sluurrrp*

Whatever Jet's cause was, everyone seems to be really getting into it. Jyo is not sure she wants to hear so many angry people shouting, after a while.

Maybe he made things a bit greener, for whatever reason though? (I think the balloons make it a success, doesn't that negate the whole green energy argument, if you're going to release wildlife-mauling rubber and strings into the sky afterwards...))

The fanged man speaks softly, after Jyoti leaves. “Are you going to hold her back, or would you let her make her own choice?”

Dustin clenches his jaw so he doesn't open it into some kind of guttural scream. “This is about all I can take, Loki. She made a choice about you a very long time ago. If you've managed to leave her... us alone for this long, what's the point of interfering in her choices now? Furthermore, do you think Meghan would go with the man who just ruined her daughter's life? Willingly, you think she would choose to be with you now?”

“I can extend her life, she could live however she wants.” The man says with quiet conviction.

“She is living however she wants. So back off. Besides that, you don't seem to be close to alive, if you're unable to move on like this, dwelling on the distant past. Can't you get some therapy somewhere? Do you need a loan to help you pay for it?”

Hearing the exasperation in her husband's voice, Meghan wordlessly steps over to Dustin and holds his hand, he squeezes it in reassurance. The couple stares at Loki, and Loki nods congenially. “I'll let you think about it.” He tells Meghan. “Also Dustin, you have not asked, but I'm going to make you a promise. Jyoti will not be without protection and safety. I'm sure you don't want this, but I'll be watching over her.”

Dustin is finally too angry to speak, and Meghan doesn't say anything, so Loki turns to leave as well.

The family reluctantly stays a few more days in France. Dustin hovers, but Jyoti keeps to herself. He knows worrying over it won't change anything. Won't dissipate the anger or heal the trauma.

Claudine Girard walks by to make fun of the aging magician, asking if he's going to perform at the geriatrics home while he's here. She's a baby compared to him.

He responds by levitating her five feet into the air in the middle of the bookstore. She squeaks something unintelligible out.

That's better.

The locals, at least, learn to respect his name again for awhile. Not that it corrects his paternal neglect.

Immune to her father's antics, Jyoti tries to focus on reading an entire novel for once. Her mind needs to be occupied elsewhere, like now.

Jet understands what happened to him better after Jyo explains it. He has internal turmoil about the way he had been manipulated. The feeling had been... intense. His work will take on a supernatural turn for a while.

“Show me.” Jyo persists. She's not accustomed to sparring with her mom. The events of the last few days have her outwardly calm, yet simmering on the inside. The way her mom had handled Loki had been... inspiring.

“Angry is better than afraid.” Meghan begins the lesson.

“Wrath without skill is inept.”

“Skill is not to be used for revenge.”

Joyti balks, her mom sounds ...coherant. No wonder she kept up the discipline of martial arts throughout her life. It seemed like her mind was working better than ever.

Meghan continues as she is met with Jyo's rapt attention. “Get revenge by living a better life than your enemies live. Live happily, and without regret. When you get home to your son, love him, and focus on his future. Don't even let the boy's father rot in the recesses of your mind.”

...Jyo gets the feeling that Meghan isn't able to contain her anger well, either. “I hope he comes around long enough for me to start hitting him.” She admits.

Meghan yells, ending the bout. “Distraction will cost you everything!”

That's how all the pamphlets on the subject of self-defense sound at least. She wins 2-1.

Meghan finds time to be with Dustin too. In fact, it's hard for them to be apart. Dustin may not be sharing much about his emotional state right now, but as the day of the incident with Loki came to a close he'd admitted it privately to his wife. He had no idea how it would have gone if he'd physically fought with Loki, and it wasn't likely to have solved anything. “You could have chosen differently.' He tells her, a trace of concern revealed in his tone.

“I don't want a life without you in it, no matter how long.”

Dustin shakes his head at her, part of him doesn't understand it. He trails his fingertips gently over her chin, not able to ask her why.

“You saved me.” She tells him simply.

“Did you think I would forget?”

And the family returns home... cherishing their time together, feeling the fleetingness of it all.

Pursuing simple goals, rather than the big ones.

Biding their time.

Taking careful steps in a forward direction.

Making bigger plans for the future. A future in which their own children will one day live safely. “Are you sure that you're up for this?” He asks her, not for the first time.

“I'll go wherever you go.” She says simply.

The day after their private ceremony Jet and Christian get packed, ready to leave together.

“We're going to be nearby, but only until we have answers about the case I'm working on. Christian and I will relocate wherever it's needed to finish things up. Are you going to be alright, here? You could come with us.” He offers, not wanting her to be alone with their eccentric parents for some reason.

“I'll be fine, Jet. Just go and start your new life already.”

Dustin is having a hard time getting used to so much change. It was just two years ago they welcomed Malcolm into the family, before tragedy after tragedy struck. He wishes there were something he could do to guarantee that Christian and Jet will have a better beginning, on a sound foundation. He had built this huge house, and so many people were leaving it.

Meghan is happy for Jet, but will miss his contrarian nature when he is gone. “I hope you both stay in touch.” She tells his young wife. “You are our family too, you know. Don't let him be too crazy, protect one another.” She is full of decent advice these days. As an elder, the carefree days of her youth finally feel as if they are slipping away. She's never felt old, or even that wise, this much before.

Obligatory farewell selfies are exchanged.

Meghan listens while Jet tries to tell Jyoti for the millionth time that art therapy would be good for her. Jyo is not interested too much in that, she can hit things with her fists and get all her frustration out that way. Meghan listens, but her heart is ages away. Deeply, she hopes that he and Everet really can find Jiraya. Openly she will tell him not to worry about it, to start a family of his own when he's ready. To focus on his writing. To be safe.

Then Dustin comes over to share some jokes with Christian and tell her a few things that Jet would be embarrassed about. Because, he can.

“Make sure you invite me to your first gallery show, okay?”

“Of course.”

Their new place is down the street.

 It has a nice pool, and an open floor plan. They settle in. To help finance this move (although he did accept a bit from his parents), Jet begins to crank out best selling novels at a breakneck pace.

The house is much quieter with Jet gone, until Casimir reminds them every three hours or so that there's an actual baby present.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In which we see that nothing much has changed, even though everything has.

Alternate title card for Jyo's generation. There are many, I might change it up when I get bored with what's up there.

2.10 Lovers in France

And just like that, an ominous feeling settles over the dusky night. Even though Dustin is for all intents and purposes, retiring from his rigorous touring schedule and has no obligations here in France, even though he knows his children checked back in to the hostel and are likely to be fast asleep... he gets the sudden urge to return to them quickly.

Jyoti, after long hours of travel and still recovering from the recent birth of her child, curls up in her sleeping bag instead of opting for a private room, or even a bed in the communal sleeping areas. The Army has taught her not to be too picky about the comfort of her surroundings.

That, or it's a family thing.

...and I find this.

Seriously?

Ohkay *cracks knuckles* I guess we're doing this! (Good thing I still have pose player in the game).

Tentatively, as though not to wake her, someone watches over her slumber.

Loki doesn't want to work to identify the emotions that threaten to make him face himself, but there's a wistful sort of hope that he can't say he's known in a very long time.

Brave girl, he thinks.

In another world or another time, he might've projected images of comfort into her tumultuous thoughts, but in this one place and time... he reaches to wake her gently so she can move somewhere more comfortable. No mother of his child is going have such a lack of care while he's around to see it.

Abruptly, he straightens up instead. Someone's on their way in, and she's going to wake up anyways.

Should he, this one time, allow himself to be seen?

She's awake now, right on time. Noticing that her brother rolled out his sleeping bag next to hers, protectively. Her mind is wistful.

He smiles to himself, knowing that whatever happens next, it's time to reveal himself. “How have you been?” He asks her when he knows she is aware of him.

Jyoti can nearly not believe it, but then again, it is Loki we're talking about. He can almost be relied on to appear when least expected, and never when hoped for. “There were times I really wanted to see you, this past year.” She confesses quietly, “But it's not like we're official in any way, so thank you for not coming around to freak out my parents.” He raises an eyebrow. “They- wouldn't understand it, I don't think. I don't regret what we did, but they wouldn't understand that we're not... uhm...”

“In a committed relationship?” He provides.

She nods. “My dad is awesome, but he would definitely make some demands on you, I think. That, and I've never told them about you, not anything, so they don't know that I've... that we...”

He can't help himself from grinning. “I'm sure they'll be able to handle any decision you make, eventually.”

“Its the eventually that gets me,” she says, stepping forward to pull him into a tight hug. She can't bring herself to be upset at his absence, he's still sort of her dream fairy that came to life and every moment is a precious blessing.

“I- I named him Casimir, that's what you suggested, isn't it? I had a dream, but it wasn't like the old ones but I could tell somehow... it was from you. He's beautiful, Loki.”

He sounds pleased. “That's a wonderful name. I'm sorry that we can't spend more time together, how is your living situation?”

She tells him a little bit about how crazy things are around the house, and how her brother decided to get married before he even graduated, and some of her parent's eccentricities, which he seems to appreciate.

But in that moment, something quickly changes.

Dustin cannot believe that an old friend is over here, on the other side of the world just as they are on vacation. Inwardly, he laughs at himself for rushing right over to check on the kids.

You old man, it's just Loki.

He's thought of Loki as someone who wasn't so bad, all this time, if a bit misguided, in his affections. Distance and time has made him a fond memory. Dustin has no idea that he's been living in Starlight, or that he's been a central figure in his daughter's own development thus far, or in any number of other situations that may be related to the family. He has no idea that Loki is still a threat, just as Moira warned him, so many years ago.

“If it isn't Loki Beaker. You look just how you looked in college,” He comments, meaning it as a compliment. Maybe people from Aurora Skies just don't get enough radiation to wrinkle their skin much when they age?

Jyo freezes for a second or five. College? With her dad? Her parents waited a while after college to get married and start a family, so how many years ago would that have been? She tries not to do any math in her head right away, she already knows that Loki isn't exactly human.

She raises her eyebrow at Loki subtly. College? She mouths, and he gives her another little smile, acknowledging it.

Dustin turns to Jyoti, not wanting to ignore his daughter. “How are you feeling sweetie? I had hoped you can catch up on some rest here, but the kitchen is a bit of an odd choice...”

“I'm okay dad, I think I must still be pretty tired. How do you know Loki, again?” She asks.

“Oh, we are all old friends, we go way back. I didn't expect to see him here, of all places.”

“Me neither,” she replies wryly, and a shade of confusion spreads over her dad's face.

“What do you mean, do you ...know him?”

Loki could be telling himself that he doesn't enjoy this, right now. But that would be a lie. He turns and faces both of them calmly. “Dustin. I'm not sure if she intends on telling you this as she wants to protect me, I think, but the truth is-”

But Jyoti cuts him off. This is her dad, after all- she's the only one who should tell him news like this. “Loki is Casimir's father.” She says quickly. “And before you say anything, it was my choice, and one I do not regret.” Please don't harass him, she thinks, it's hard enough to get to see him as it is.

The news hovers over the kitchen like a pallor, for a several heavy and silent moments. “Y-y-you- and -you two- the BOTH of you-” Dustin's pretty sure that's actual bile coming up in his throat right now. “My DAUGHTER-” He begins to choke in shock.

“Dad? Dad!” Jyoti rushes over and pats him hard on the back until he's breathing more normally. Shallowly, but normally. “I know this must be a shock to you, I didn't know you two knew each other actually- wait, am I trying to defend him right now?”

So she spins her heal and turns back to the father of her three month old child. “Loki. I suspected it before, but you knew my parents. When you approached me, back in high school-”

“You were in high SCHOOL?!” Dustin yells loudly from behind her and begins his fit of choking once again.

She shakes her head, not knowing what she should say to her father, or why, and turns back to Loki. “You were right about my fate. People that I love have died. Maybe someone might see us and think, that you took advantage of me, and maybe you did, but still- I don't regret what we shared. I want you to know that. I am grateful to have Casimir, because I don't know what my life would have become, without him. But you should come completely clean, right now. Why did you approach me, in the first place?"

And Loki gives her a piercing stare and tells her in an even voice. “Because you are extraordinary. Even if I had never known your mother and your father, I would have sought you out. Even if I had not approached you first, we still would have been together, one way or another. That was the fate that I saw.”

“I can't believe you-” Dustin growls from behind her, finding his voice.

“Dad I got this-” Jet interrupts, walking over quickly. “This is Casimir's dad?” He asks Jyoti out of the corner of his mouth. He flexes his fingers into a fist and faces the much older(?) man.
“This is Casimir's father.” She answers, uncertain what Jet has to do with any of this. She just wants to know what her own father thinks of her right now. She had no idea that Loki shared a history with her parents, not really. Her mind reels.

Dustin, for his part and all of his anger and his surprise, is for the first time starting to see how much he neglected his children's well being to fulfill his career aspirations. My little girl!

“Your name?” Jet demands.

“You are Jet,” The vampire responds cooly.

“Try again.” Jet says in a low tone. He just got woken up for this man's nonsense, after all. “No games.”

Dustin and Jyoti are left wondering if their relationship will ever be the same.

Dustin can't control the emotion in his voice as well as he can mask his expressions. Years of practicing a stage persona will do that to someone. “Jyo...” He starts to tell her, to ask her, wanting to yell more and to comfort and he lets his voice trail off. A very large part of him wants to go over to Loki and take his anger out, but college was a very very long time ago, and all he can see now is the hurt in his daughter's eyes, the fear that he will reject her or won't support her, that she's somehow become somebody that he doesn't love. “I failed you.” Is all he can bring himself to choke out.

“Who do you think you are?! My sister was ALONE this year, you should have been ready to take responsibility!” Jet's amplified voice echoes through the entire hostel.

Loki is not used to being treated so irreverently by somebody who he could eat for dinner.

And Dustin begins to regain some of his senses. There is chaos here, on their family vacation, and it has to stop. He grinds his teeth. “What did that man promise you?”

Jyoti shakes her head, not sure even where to start or if she should say it all. “There is nothing right now dad, really nothing. Not anymore.”

In disbelief. “What does it mean, not anymore? You aren't... with him?”

“No. I don't think, we'd be a good match in that way. I like Loki and all, but I don't think either of us expects anything more than that. He's helped me, you know, he's kind of a comfort right now.”

“You sound like you're dating him.”

It's an accusation but Jyoti is unphased. “If I was I'm an adult. I know he's older than me and you think we can't be equals, well I don't need to be his equal, alright? I don't want to lose anyone else that I care about.”

Dustin has never regretted before now that his daughter shares the same sort of courage that he does. When she needs to be protected, she actually wants to jump off of the deep end at the same time and disregard the fact that she's going to get hurt.

“We are going to talk about this, when we get home.” Dustin enunciates every word. Jyoti shivers a cold shiver that makes no logical sense. She's an adult, she can do whatever she wants. “Fine.” She grumbles, giving in for now. Her father's visceral reaction to Loki was actually kind of scary.

Loki eventually straightens up, having gleaned enough of the thoughts of the people in the room to be satisfied with this outcome. The sooner Dustin and Meghan knew, the better really. Hiding is tiresome, even if it's how his kind get by in some times and places.

He lets Jet finish his little tirade and begins to focus his energies. “You're busy today and you will occupy yourself at the marketplace for a very long time, until sundown.” He 'suggests'.

Jet blinks, never having been projected onto before. “Run along, “ Loki continues.

“...before I get peckish.”

Jet blinks, but does not go down that easy. His anger is very real and he intends to protect his family. Despite all his big talk he's never had to fight anyone before, and he's always been clumsy at the worst of times. He tries not to think of how the voice is echoing in his head.

So, like an author, he finds his voice. “Whatever you're trying to do, it won't work! That's my family that you're messing with and I don't care what kind of hole you climbed out of-”

Loki tries his best to ignore the stream of curses that come pouring out of Jet's mouth at him, remembering what it might cost this family if he were to give the young man what he deserves.

“Quiet.” He growls, throwing what power he can behind his magic in the daylight. He doesn't like to use his powers often, so he has it in reserves.

This time, it sticks. Jet straightens up abruptly and with some awkwardness. The young man's arms fold behind his back and his mind clears. The vitriol fades from his lips.

“In a few moments, you will go outside and play somewhere safe. Come back after dark.”

He's just a kid, after all. And his family needs him...

Jyoti has been paying close attention, even after trying to calm her dad down. “Loki, what are you doing? Aren't you better than this type of stuff?”

Then she shuts her mouth for a moment, realizing that she has no idea who Loki really is, where he's come from, or what he's better than. Or not. There was a person... a Loki, before she dreamed of him. Sort of a baffling concept.

Reluctantly, Dustin answers a text from his wife. He wasn't supposed to be gone this long. He'd love to keep her away from it, but there is a conviction in his gut that she's going to be needed. At the very least, she'll want a sample from him if it could be obtained. To confirm the paternity. He lets her know a few things she's not going to like in advance, and tells her to stay away if she needs to. It's not a surprise when she coldly replies that she will be right there. Meghan can be counted on, when the chips are down.

“Let him go, he's a kid.” Dustin commands, walking forward to face his old friend. “That's enough.”

“You don't seem to have good control over your children.” The blond man observes.

“That's it, Loki. I think I'm going to have to kick your ass after all.”

He means it as a threat, but it's taken with a small laugh. “Don't come near my daughter or our family again.” Dustin warns again.

“Oh, I think I'll be around here and there. I quite like your daughter, you know.”

Somehow, and of course, Everet's on vacation here too. So Jyoti goes to him for advice. He doesn't understand the nuance, but he tells her to be there for her dad right now, especially if he has a history with her boyfriend that she never knew about.

“He's not my boyfriend, though?” She dodges.

“All the more reason to let your dad sort things out.” Ev tells her gently.

He is understanding and collected as usual. He advises that she shouldn't try to make other people happy with the kind of year she's had. How can the vacation be salvaged, for her? Would she like to return home earlier than planned?

She doesn't know. She doesn't want to get back to the drama in the kitchen, but it's still going on and she's worried...

Jet gets changed and mumbles something about starting a protest and practically tiptoes away.

Dustin, following his instincts and reviewing what's occurred before his very eyes, has finally remembered what Loki now is. It's also the only thing that fits this behavior. As Jets leaves he steels himself for a conversation he should never have to have, and his wife comes back to the base camp, right on time.

Meghan, helpfully herself right now, fills her daughter in on her past relationship in a no nonsense way. Her voice is cold and calculating as she is more angered than shocked, for some reason. She's heard about vampiric obsession but this is a first hand experience. “Loki and I dated when we were in high school, I broke things off with him after our first semester in college. What he's done by becoming involved with you, is unforgivable. He was practically a child then, like you are now and should be an old man, but that- glow in his eyes... and his suggestion to your brother, he's like a vampiric hybrid, of some sort.”

Jyo is unsure of what to say. Was she unaware that Loki was like this? Not exactly.

The man in question stares at Meghan, not at all surprised that she understood him right away. “I told you you would have good reason to be angry with me.” he says to Jyoti in a whisper, not taking his eyes off of Meghan.

Meghan responds, ignoring the gleam in his icy blue gaze. “Loki, whatever you are now, I can see that you will enjoy a long lifespan, and it would eventually become inevitable that you would have to find someone younger than yourself to be with, if there are not many of – your kind – but – choosing our daughter to satiate your lusts- you have crossed a line. There can be no excuse.”

“Do I need an excuse?” He turns to Jyoti. “I have shown her many things, and she has given me a future, in turn. Not exactly the same one that I foresaw, but the forging of something new, something good.”

“No reason can become good enough.” Meghan cuts in.

Loki merely smiles softly. “She has your eyes, and her father's heart. I make no apology.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In this universe, vampires can use Jedi mind tricks.

Every time I try to write Loki out he shows up again somewhere. He followed us to France, and Dustin couldn't stop smiling the whole time. Loki is not in the family or anything, so I couldn't control him to make him do any fun vampirey things. I did have Jet yell at him to make him mad, though.

Loki had been following them to China, but I kept ignoring him. I think the game may have been just pushing supernaturals onto the family as both Dustin and 'Drea' are fans? Not sure. But when Loki walked right up to watch Jyoti sleep and stare at her directly, I knew I was done avoiding it altogether. So, movie villain Loki it is this time.

You see, you see!? This is why Loki being involved is the end of this blog- he just never. Leaves.

Jet was very happy to yell at Loki.

I think it was exciting for his fiancé, too.

“This is some comical villainy, do you really need to use your abilities for something like this?

(Realistic Dustin) 'Eek a supernatural! Yayyy!'