For lastvoyages: Spam for Deck

[cannibalmind]

[[OOC: This takes place after this thread.]]

[The racuous excuse for modern music finally drove Hannibal out into the deck, where he tightened his coat around him against the chill and looked around. There had been considerably more alcohol in that drink than he had accounted for, and so now he finds himself rather flushed and prone to...stroll...instead of properly walking over to the lift and getting out of the cold. Last time he did that he found Richie's rather overripe corpse. But chances are that he'll run into no such unpleasantness, and he is tipsy enough to truly appreciate the whirling sky.]

Comments

[time jummmp]

[cannibalmind]

[Hannibal has prepared his room carefully, cleaning up, screening off his bed, and putting up the pencil sketches and paintings he has done of Barge people so far. There is Mozenrath as the Heirophant, Will as the Hermit, and Arkady as the Fool, plus several sketches of other Bargemates both past and present. He has a pitcher of water and two glasses on a side table; his meager stock does not yet include proper refreshments.]

[surrenders]

[ Lua's sidled off to freshen up after work and see if she has anything that she can bring over, but shows up at his door clean and empty-handed. All she's offering him should be pretty clear if you watch people here, but so many people only think about what affects them that they don't see everything else around them. If she can get something that helps Richie from that... well, that's not much work at all.

A light tap at the door, hopefully loud enough for him to hear. ]

[cannibalmind]

[He walks over and opens the door, bowing aside and gesturing for her to come in.] Please take the couch, my supplies are set up across from it.

[He locks the door behind them and waits for them to both be settled before he speaks again.]

I spoke with Richard briefly. He is...still decompensating, I am afraid.

[surrenders]

[ They need to get down to business, she knows, but she still takes a few moments to look at the drawings of the people she knows, hand raised like she wants to touch, but knows it's rude. Even if she doesn't recognize the themes, she can tell they fit Arkady and Will, and she wonders if that's what he's planning for her. When he starts to speak, though, she turns around with a puzzled look and takes a seat in hopes he'll explain. ]

[cannibalmind]

I have brought to his attention the idea that certain symptoms he is suffering are both abnormal and avoidable. But he has heavy layers of denial. Basically, he cannot handle anything painful or troubling and will recoil from it. He has to be worked with delicately, as you have likely already discovered. What is more obscure is just how long he has been hiding and denying his illness.

[surrenders]

He won't listen if he thinks you think he's nuts. No matter who it is.

[ She pauses. ] But he thinks things happened that didn't, hears things that aren't there.

[cannibalmind]

If you are ever close to him, you will notice that he smells slightly odd. That goatish odor is the smell of schizophrenia. He is afflicted. That part of what he is going through is not his fault, which is something I doubt anyone has ever acknowledged to him.

[surrenders]

[ Her head bobs up in acknowledgement. She knows what he's talking about, though she never put the two together. ]

Just means something went wrong in his brain, right?

[cannibalmind]

It is chemical, yes. It can be managed. But until he realizes that what he is going through is not normal and that he does not have to suffer from it I dare not even bring up the idea. Would you like a glass of water?

[surrenders]

[ She makes a sound as if to accept. ] He needs better. What do you do?

[cannibalmind]

I can both advise him on controlling his episodes, and also prescribe medication. A second opinion from Dr. McCoy would probably be required for the prescription.

There are other things which help balance brain chemistry, such as proper nutrition, regular exercise and certain supplements.

[surrenders]

And he'll believe you? [ She's dubious, not of him, but Richie. ]

[cannibalmind]

I'm willing to take a considerable risk to my reputation in order to earn his trust. Let's face it, Lua. The man, for all his potential, has some seriously dangerous problems and his new Warden is a completely unknown quantity.

[surrenders]

[ She looks down nervously. It's nothing she can fix, much as she wants to, and she hasn't known where to start. ]

Not sure if I trust him yet. [ No comment about Will. ]

But I'll do what I can with Richie. Lean him your way a bit. Someone else trying...

[cannibalmind]

Nor I. And I appreciate that. You're doing good work with him from what I have seen, Lua, and you should not have to alone.

Though slow and careful is likely to be watchwords where he is concerned.

[surrenders]

[ If anyone he hasn't hurt knows how careful you have to be, she does. ]

Hasn't been enough so far, just me. He needs someone smarter, someone who can fix it instead of just hold him off.

[cannibalmind]

Hmp. You are far from lacking in intelligence, Miss Lua. What is needed here is a certain set of skills and experience in using them, and someone unbiased to wield them.

[For a moment he considers venturing something further along those lines, but then he decides: too soon. ] Supportive friends are just one piece of the treatment puzzle.

[surrenders]

He won't get there on his own, he can't.

Just... be really careful, all right? [ She hopes it doesn't sound condescending. ]

[cannibalmind]

[He reaches for his pencil and sketchpad.]

There will be some small risk to my reputation, but I am willing to weather it. Your concern is however appreciated.

If we can get him to the point where he goes to people when he is decompensating, it will be an important first step.

[surrenders]

[ She isn't thinking about his reputation, but how unpredictable Richie can be. He hasn't hurt her yet, and won't, but you don't know whether he ever hears what you're really saying, or what he'll do with what he sees. ]

Get him to figure out he's crazy.

...sounds about right, maybe. [ She shifts over, trying to figure out what to do with her body so he can do his best work. ]

[cannibalmind]

Sadly, that may take a good while. Ah, don't worry too much, just keep talking to me. You have a natural stillness.

[surrenders]

Yeah. [ She pulls her lips in and looks away in embarrassment before composing herself and starting to speak again. Something else to talk about... ]

You've got that set there, right? [ Her eyes slip over to the tarot art she'd been staring at before. ] What's it of?

[cannibalmind]

Yes, I do. This is part of the basis for a new tarot card deck. The Rider-Waite deck's symbology rendered in Renaissance form. [He pauses in sketching and goes into a drawer to pull out a copy of the deck.]

[surrenders]

[ Now she remembers where she's seen those themes, how she knew they went together. Back before - really far back - there was a girl who thought they weren't anything special, but knew enough people who did and would pay money to understand them. She'd let Fabiola practice keeping a straight face as she laid cards out, wove a story together, let Lua ask the right questions... it never felt right, though, so she's a bit shy this time as she looks over. ]

Got it. This for that?

[cannibalmind]

I have not decided yet. I have a few images in mind, but some of them are you as you are and some are you in a more idealized form. You seem very good at closing the mouths of savage beasts, for example. But there are other images that serve as well.