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deercountry2021-10-08 06:14 pm
reddosmod) wrote in deercountry2021-10-08 06:14 pm
Entry tags:
- *event,
- abby anderson: c,
- anakin skywalker: michele,
- ange ushiromiya: jelle,
- anna amarande: celene,
- ariadne: wizera,
- catra: pink,
- childe: bean,
- diluc ragnvindr: samuel,
- faolan: teresa,
- fern: pan,
- flynn fairwind: teresa,
- goro akechi: kei,
- izuku "deku" midoriya: tea,
- kaeya alberich: daisy,
- katherine pierce: jade,
- kd6-3.7: moz,
- lance: charley,
- luke skywalker: skyla,
- lumine: trix,
- luna lovegood: cheryl,
- luz noceda: pedro,
- manabu yuuki: elle,
- mebh og mactire: oggy,
- nehan: ray,
- orpheus: qv,
- peter graham: jhey,
- ryan akagi: billie sue,
- savage opress: vette,
- soldier blue: elle,
- stiles stilinski: charley,
- the medicine seller: greenrivers,
- tsume: shade,
- usagi tsukino: jax,
- varian: tf,
- wanda maximoff: jade,
- wei wuxian: tohma,
- willow rosenberg: lucy,
- winter schnee: mesi,
- wu: mads,
- yuri lowell: mads
Because one day, I'll leave you a phantom
OCTOBER 2021 EVENT
IMAGE DESCRIPTORS IN ORDER OF APPEARANCE
Prompt One
[Image One: Band playing on moving float with people in masks walking behind.]
[Image Two: Woman in gas mask and elaborate ballgown.]
Prompt Two
[Image One: Man looking away while creepy corpse-like woman puts hand on window.]
[Image Two: Two contorted girls crawling across floor with blood flowing out.]
Prompt Three
[Image One: Headless horseman with jack-o-lantern rearing on horse.]
[Image Two: Annabelle doll rocking on its own in chair.]
WELCOME TO THE BLACK PARADE
LONELINESS KILLS: THE CURSE OF CLOVERFIELD
LEGENDS OF TRENCH
CODINGPrompt One
[Image One: Band playing on moving float with people in masks walking behind.]
[Image Two: Woman in gas mask and elaborate ballgown.]
Prompt Two
[Image One: Man looking away while creepy corpse-like woman puts hand on window.]
[Image Two: Two contorted girls crawling across floor with blood flowing out.]
Prompt Three
[Image One: Headless horseman with jack-o-lantern rearing on horse.]
[Image Two: Annabelle doll rocking on its own in chair.]
WHEN: During the daytime every day of October
WHERE: Throughout the streets of Cellar Door and Willful Machine.
CONTENT WARNINGS: N/A
WHERE: Throughout the streets of Cellar Door and Willful Machine.
CONTENT WARNINGS: N/A
The Black Parade has begun in Trench. You will begin to see residents painting skulls and monsters onto their faces, even the ones who abide by practical lifestyles. By the first week of October, you won't see a single resident of Trench without facepaint or a mask of some kind obscuring their face.
"It's for the Black Parade," they say, "It's to keep us safe. You should start painting your face too. You should disguise yourself so they can't find you."
Who, you might ask? Anyone dangerous. It's vague and unsettling, but you think maybe they are onto something. Call it intuition or basic common sense. Stalls pop up all around Trench selling cheap masks and costumes. They aren't exactly Halloween costumes. There's less of a focus on becoming something and more of a focus on looking different than you currently do.
Then the Black Parade really takes off. Black and white confetti seem to fall from the sky and you can hear the distant sound of trumpets and drums. You can feel the earth give small tremors and Trenchies begin to flock to Cellar Door and the Willful Machine. They line the streets and you can see why: a literal parade is coming through. Stages are set with talented musicians rocking out, singing into wireless, floating moonlit mics. Incredible, giant puppets walk through the streets guided by a dozen talented Architects. Other people move about in stilted costumes, elaborate gowns. Some performers set up small, stationary areas to perform for smaller crowds. The sky is filled with massive and unusual kites. Find one among the many stalls or make your own!
Stalls hand out candied applies, foil-wrapped candies, and roasted pumpkin seeds by the bundles. Hot ciders are kept in barrels ready to be served up in tin mugs, with or without alcohol. It's a festive atmosphere that seems to go nonstop 24/7 throughout October but exclusively in these areas. It's a good place to go to avoid some of the haunts of October and to have a good time. Why not get involved? Make your own puppet, float, or costumes, and join in the fun. Chunks of the road are reserved for parades, but others have been sectioned off for people to dance and mingle about. You quickly learn that face-paint and masked/concealed faces seem to be a good way of avoiding the attention of beasts, angry Pthumerians, and other unusual creatures in Trench.
It's not a foolproof method, but October largely celebrates the safety of ambiguity and is one of the few times the practical and pleasure factions get along. Get your face painted up or pick out a costume - it's both aesthetic and life-saving! The Black Parade is held annually every October all October long and is considered a significant Trench holiday. Many people refer to the costumes specifically as "Black Parade" costumes and sentiments commonly exchanged at this time include: Have a blessed and safe Blood Moon; May your Seasons pass unseen; Bless the many faces of cleverness; May you go unseen by the blood; Blessed Black Parade.
QUICK FACTS
1. Halloween costumes you can buy at the store won't be available unless a character intentionally makes one. Most of the costumes in Trench are more or less eccentric make-up looks and unusual masks. They look a lot more like Cirque du Soleil costumes than Halloween costumes.
2. Characters can have multiple costume/face-paint/mask changes throughout the month. No one will be forced into these - but it is strongly, culturally encouraged for everyone's safety to dress up!
"It's for the Black Parade," they say, "It's to keep us safe. You should start painting your face too. You should disguise yourself so they can't find you."
Who, you might ask? Anyone dangerous. It's vague and unsettling, but you think maybe they are onto something. Call it intuition or basic common sense. Stalls pop up all around Trench selling cheap masks and costumes. They aren't exactly Halloween costumes. There's less of a focus on becoming something and more of a focus on looking different than you currently do.
Then the Black Parade really takes off. Black and white confetti seem to fall from the sky and you can hear the distant sound of trumpets and drums. You can feel the earth give small tremors and Trenchies begin to flock to Cellar Door and the Willful Machine. They line the streets and you can see why: a literal parade is coming through. Stages are set with talented musicians rocking out, singing into wireless, floating moonlit mics. Incredible, giant puppets walk through the streets guided by a dozen talented Architects. Other people move about in stilted costumes, elaborate gowns. Some performers set up small, stationary areas to perform for smaller crowds. The sky is filled with massive and unusual kites. Find one among the many stalls or make your own!
Stalls hand out candied applies, foil-wrapped candies, and roasted pumpkin seeds by the bundles. Hot ciders are kept in barrels ready to be served up in tin mugs, with or without alcohol. It's a festive atmosphere that seems to go nonstop 24/7 throughout October but exclusively in these areas. It's a good place to go to avoid some of the haunts of October and to have a good time. Why not get involved? Make your own puppet, float, or costumes, and join in the fun. Chunks of the road are reserved for parades, but others have been sectioned off for people to dance and mingle about. You quickly learn that face-paint and masked/concealed faces seem to be a good way of avoiding the attention of beasts, angry Pthumerians, and other unusual creatures in Trench.
It's not a foolproof method, but October largely celebrates the safety of ambiguity and is one of the few times the practical and pleasure factions get along. Get your face painted up or pick out a costume - it's both aesthetic and life-saving! The Black Parade is held annually every October all October long and is considered a significant Trench holiday. Many people refer to the costumes specifically as "Black Parade" costumes and sentiments commonly exchanged at this time include: Have a blessed and safe Blood Moon; May your Seasons pass unseen; Bless the many faces of cleverness; May you go unseen by the blood; Blessed Black Parade.
QUICK FACTS
1. Halloween costumes you can buy at the store won't be available unless a character intentionally makes one. Most of the costumes in Trench are more or less eccentric make-up looks and unusual masks. They look a lot more like Cirque du Soleil costumes than Halloween costumes.
2. Characters can have multiple costume/face-paint/mask changes throughout the month. No one will be forced into these - but it is strongly, culturally encouraged for everyone's safety to dress up!
WHEN: October
WHERE: Everywhere
CONTENT WARNINGS: Psychological-based curse, feelings of intense loneliness, mental health.
WHERE: Everywhere
CONTENT WARNINGS: Psychological-based curse, feelings of intense loneliness, mental health.
It is said that the Blood Moon reminds Cloverfield of those he has lost over the decades. They say that the howling wind is actually the sound of Cloverfield's cries and there seems to be some truth to that. He can be seen wandering the Farther Shores and watching the moon. If you seek out Cloverfield and offer him comfort and companionship, he will bless you with a worn picture of a loved one or someone you miss desperately or even just a place you miss...Even if it's impossible for such a picture to exist.
Of course, not everyone will visit Cloverfield. Cloverfield's loneliness begins to curse the city of Trench. Sleepers will be impacted the most heavily as their blood will directly react to this curse. Sleepers who have a good sense of relationship may be able to avoid the curse, but those who often feel lonely or homesick will start to feel worse and worse as the days go by.
Eventually, their loneliness begins to manifest as a corpse-like version of themselves or the person they care about most. This corpse follows them around everywhere like a shadow. You won't notice your own Loneliness, but other people might, especially palebloods, Night Walkers, and Disciples. These corpses don't seem to care about anything or anyone and at first don't seem violent...But eventually, this Loneliness becomes consuming.
Once it does, you too will contort, and you and your Loneliness will soon be crawling about on all fours, blood floating out of you in thin streams. You'll be lost to your feelings of loneliness, stalking the streets with your Loneliness, looking for companionship. Of course, you're completely corrupt at this point, so your version of finding companionship most likely involves accidentally suffocating someone or other violent actions. Some people may never become violent once they are in the Final Stage, but the blood constantly flowing from them will create heavy blood pollution and may draw in far more dangerous creatures. You really don't want Lonely People walking around!
Better start some conversations - even if these Lonely People are creepy as hell. But, then again, they are just lonely. Hopefully, you will find peace of mind and find your people. Hopefully, you will banish loneliness...For the time being.
QUICK FACTS
1. This curse will impact people who are more isolated than others. Interaction with other people or animals will alleviate the curse and may completely stop it for some.
2. You can stop the curse at the corpse stage by confronting a Sleeper and opening up an emotional conversation about their loneliness. This may not always work, but the more the conversation works for the Sleeper, the more effective. The corpse will fleck away once the curse has been reversed.
3. Curses can continue to come back throughout October, but once you've experienced it once, it's less likely to occur again.
4. The Final Stage of the curse is the hardest to stop and most of the time, it's easiest to just kill the Cursed. It's easier to kill them than talk them out of their loneliness, but it is not impossible to talk them out of it. It requires dedication, patience, and some serious cleverness on how to survive a monster trying to kill you at the same time.
5. Loneliness can be widely interpreted once in the Final Stage. People should generally still look like themselves. How people act in this stage can vary from character to character and should be centric to how characters deal with their loneliness in general. If they're prone to shutting people out, then maybe their Loneliness is aloof and distant. If they're prone to clinging to toxic people, then maybe their Loneliness is accidentally violent. It's open to interpretation.
Of course, not everyone will visit Cloverfield. Cloverfield's loneliness begins to curse the city of Trench. Sleepers will be impacted the most heavily as their blood will directly react to this curse. Sleepers who have a good sense of relationship may be able to avoid the curse, but those who often feel lonely or homesick will start to feel worse and worse as the days go by.
Eventually, their loneliness begins to manifest as a corpse-like version of themselves or the person they care about most. This corpse follows them around everywhere like a shadow. You won't notice your own Loneliness, but other people might, especially palebloods, Night Walkers, and Disciples. These corpses don't seem to care about anything or anyone and at first don't seem violent...But eventually, this Loneliness becomes consuming.
Once it does, you too will contort, and you and your Loneliness will soon be crawling about on all fours, blood floating out of you in thin streams. You'll be lost to your feelings of loneliness, stalking the streets with your Loneliness, looking for companionship. Of course, you're completely corrupt at this point, so your version of finding companionship most likely involves accidentally suffocating someone or other violent actions. Some people may never become violent once they are in the Final Stage, but the blood constantly flowing from them will create heavy blood pollution and may draw in far more dangerous creatures. You really don't want Lonely People walking around!
Better start some conversations - even if these Lonely People are creepy as hell. But, then again, they are just lonely. Hopefully, you will find peace of mind and find your people. Hopefully, you will banish loneliness...For the time being.
QUICK FACTS
1. This curse will impact people who are more isolated than others. Interaction with other people or animals will alleviate the curse and may completely stop it for some.
2. You can stop the curse at the corpse stage by confronting a Sleeper and opening up an emotional conversation about their loneliness. This may not always work, but the more the conversation works for the Sleeper, the more effective. The corpse will fleck away once the curse has been reversed.
3. Curses can continue to come back throughout October, but once you've experienced it once, it's less likely to occur again.
4. The Final Stage of the curse is the hardest to stop and most of the time, it's easiest to just kill the Cursed. It's easier to kill them than talk them out of their loneliness, but it is not impossible to talk them out of it. It requires dedication, patience, and some serious cleverness on how to survive a monster trying to kill you at the same time.
5. Loneliness can be widely interpreted once in the Final Stage. People should generally still look like themselves. How people act in this stage can vary from character to character and should be centric to how characters deal with their loneliness in general. If they're prone to shutting people out, then maybe their Loneliness is aloof and distant. If they're prone to clinging to toxic people, then maybe their Loneliness is accidentally violent. It's open to interpretation.
WHEN: All October
WHERE: Everywhere
CONTENT WARNINGS: Ghosts, Themes of death.
WHERE: Everywhere
CONTENT WARNINGS: Ghosts, Themes of death.
Unfortunately, not everyone can gain control of their loneliness. As blood is spilled throughout Trench over loneliness, this blood pollution festers and begins to claim poor souls. Corruption leads way to beasthood and people lost to this find themselves transforming into familiar, legendary ghost stories of old-world lore. These Legendary Ghosts come out primarily at night. As the Black Parade established, anyone who keeps their faces disguised with make-up or masks will be completely safe from the Legendary Ghosts. Though if you go after a Legendary Ghost in a costume, you'll only be safe until you attack them. It's not a bad move for a sneak attack though!
...But those who forgot to dress up or felt like such superstitions wouldn't work...
Congratulations, you might come across the path of a Dullahan: a headless horseman carrying a whip made from a spinal cord, ready to throw basins of blood on you and draw in other beasts. Or maybe you encounter a far more subtle Legendary Ghost. Maybe you see a hitchhiker on the side of the road and decide to give them a ride, but when you look in your rearview mirror, they are no longer in your backseat. While most of these Legendary Ghosts are intending to harm you and spread more blood pollution, some just seem to be genuinely lost souls, lost to corruption, lost to their own failures and loneliness. In some cases, freeing them is protecting yourself and others, but in other cases, freeing them is just simple kindness.
You may meet a ghost bride who is waiting eternally for her wedding by one of the shrines in Cassandra. Maybe you meet a ghostly scholar at the Archives in Gaze. The spirits range widely and seem to haunt every corner of Trench - including your own homes. The only real way to deter a Legendary Ghost from your home is by heavily decorating your home with things like jack-o-lanterns, fake blood splatters, fake gravestones, and various other death-centric decor. This seems to repel Legendary Ghosts as they see it as a reminder of their own fate. Some are angered by the decorations while others are terrified by them and seem incapable of telling the difference between real blood and fake blood.
QUICK FACTS
1. These corrupt souls can be saved through blood rituals/magic/ghost banishings relying on blood artifacts. This will usually put the soul to rest - it will not bring people "back to life."
2. While it is mostly Trenchies turning into these beings, Sleepers can also be transformed into Legendary Ghosts. We provide a general outline, but the idea is that people are turning into legendary ghost stories so you can play with your own ideas/canons.
While Trenchies cannot be saved, we leave it up to you if a Sleeper could be brought back to themselves or if they will have to "die" to be cured of their Legendary Ghost status.
3. You can use famous Legendary Ghosts from around the world. We gave a few examples, but have fun with this! The Legendary Ghost-like creature you go with should generally be "ghost-like" / have to do with death specifically. They do not need to be exclusively evil/violent spirits, but many are.
...But those who forgot to dress up or felt like such superstitions wouldn't work...
Congratulations, you might come across the path of a Dullahan: a headless horseman carrying a whip made from a spinal cord, ready to throw basins of blood on you and draw in other beasts. Or maybe you encounter a far more subtle Legendary Ghost. Maybe you see a hitchhiker on the side of the road and decide to give them a ride, but when you look in your rearview mirror, they are no longer in your backseat. While most of these Legendary Ghosts are intending to harm you and spread more blood pollution, some just seem to be genuinely lost souls, lost to corruption, lost to their own failures and loneliness. In some cases, freeing them is protecting yourself and others, but in other cases, freeing them is just simple kindness.
You may meet a ghost bride who is waiting eternally for her wedding by one of the shrines in Cassandra. Maybe you meet a ghostly scholar at the Archives in Gaze. The spirits range widely and seem to haunt every corner of Trench - including your own homes. The only real way to deter a Legendary Ghost from your home is by heavily decorating your home with things like jack-o-lanterns, fake blood splatters, fake gravestones, and various other death-centric decor. This seems to repel Legendary Ghosts as they see it as a reminder of their own fate. Some are angered by the decorations while others are terrified by them and seem incapable of telling the difference between real blood and fake blood.
QUICK FACTS
1. These corrupt souls can be saved through blood rituals/magic/ghost banishings relying on blood artifacts. This will usually put the soul to rest - it will not bring people "back to life."
2. While it is mostly Trenchies turning into these beings, Sleepers can also be transformed into Legendary Ghosts. We provide a general outline, but the idea is that people are turning into legendary ghost stories so you can play with your own ideas/canons.
While Trenchies cannot be saved, we leave it up to you if a Sleeper could be brought back to themselves or if they will have to "die" to be cured of their Legendary Ghost status.
3. You can use famous Legendary Ghosts from around the world. We gave a few examples, but have fun with this! The Legendary Ghost-like creature you go with should generally be "ghost-like" / have to do with death specifically. They do not need to be exclusively evil/violent spirits, but many are.
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before he can press about that, though:] Huh? [he blinks, looking over his shoulder.] Who? Where?
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[ He presses closer because it is really, really creepy. And at least alive and breathing Manabu is right next to him. ]
I don't think you can see it? Not everyone can see them. I've been seeing them everywhere! They're so, so creepy.
[ He shivers. It's been palpable in the air, the feeling of loss, loneliness, emptiness in the streets of Trench. He only gets relief when he's home in Cellar Door, surrounded by the Black Parade. ]
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I don't...see anything... [but he has been hearing things. lots of chatter. whispers. incessant, barely decipherable - things that don't feel in-place even in a crowd.
so while he doesn't see what Wu's speaking about...he doesn't disbelieve him, either? because something's definitely off.]
You think it's the ghosts that locals talk about?
dreamwidth stole this from me!!!!!
[ He looks at Manabu again, concern coloring his face. He knows Manabu, knows he doesn't believe easily, doesn't really take things in stride. He has a way he thinks the world is, and when that knowledge is shaken, it takes him a while to adjust, to believe it.
But things are always changing. In Deerington, their literal world was changing. In Trench, they don't know the rules yet, not really ]
But I think we can, we can do something about it. Will you go somewhere with me? To figure this out?
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It's...a little tricky. For one thing, I don't want you getting wrapped up in something that might just be on me, but...but if I can't even see it, how'm I supposed to do anything about it?
[he looks back to Wu, frowning.]
What idea do you have?
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confused, a little pink-faced:] Talk about it? But...but I can't even see it...
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[ It wasn't a no, so Wu's steering him toward Cellar Door, the only area of the city he really knows. There's a bar near the Raccoon Room he likes. It's comfortable and classy and, yes, Manabu will stick out, but it's fine. It's early, anyway. They'll probably be glad for the customers.
Wu settles them at a small table on two plush chairs with two hot toddies, pushing one into Manabu's hands as he sternly ignores the creepy Other Manabu who's still lurking behind the real Manabu. ]
So! So, Manabu. How are you feeling?
[ Because Wu can feel that loneliness and it's concerning. ]
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Huh? [oh. right. sitting here. booze in hand. he blinks out of his thoughts and looks over at Wu.]
Um. Well, right...right now? I'm just confused. And worried? Do you...see that thing around everyone?
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[ He points to the creepy version of Manabu and shivers. ]
I guess not now-now, but you know how I can feel other people's feelings now? Your feelings are kinda... well, not great. They're not great. And I want to help you! If I can. To get rid of that thing. And because I care about you.
[ Which one is more pressing? Well. Both? ]
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Manabu looks back, eyes wincing at the reminder that Wu can just...feel people's emotions? to him, it kind of means he can feel just surface-level things like mood, and to his credit, he is honest in that sense: he is confused and worried! stopping to think about anything further isn't...really his style.
not only that, but that whole i care about you thing makes him uncomfortable just from a disposition standpoint; he's not used to that kind of candor! but Wu and Amara really are trying to make that stuff normal, huh...
Manabu fidgets self-consciously, only able to meet Wu's eye for just a fleeting glance before looking down at the table, red-faced and red-eared.]
I-I believe you, but I...I mean, are you sure? I mean--[feelings? really?] I...don't know what to say, I'm...I just...I don't think I've done anything different for a few days? Especially since I stopped sparking randomly? So there's that...
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[ Except that the whole Vibe of Trench has changed, loneliness permeating the streets. Wu lets out a soft breath, reaching across the table to place his hand over Manabu's ]
It's okay to not feel okay. I spent a couple years feeling just awful. I wouldn't really recommend that, but, you know. It happens!
Maybe we can just... talk? [ Since talking about feelings clearly isn't going to get him anywhere. Maybe he can talk about his own, and ignore that creepy Manabu lurking in the shadows of the tavern ] Like, how's being here, in Trench, been so far? I guess there was the whole sparking thing...
no subject
I, uh. I think I got that under control. [even if bringing it up comes with a wave of shame. sure, he's never been in a position to ever have powers before so it's not like he should be naturally capable to handle himself? but there's a definite ego-blow to being seemingly so feeble.] I don't really...know what I should be doing here, but...I guess there's always another roof to fix, right?
[aimless, goalless...alone. his 'calling,' his passion deterred yet again, and it's not clear if it was Fate or...something else.]
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[ He laughs, chattering on because he doesn't really know what to do with a very sad friend. It's not his forte, and the creepy corpse isn't making it any easier, lurking back there, watching him, watching Manabu. He takes a deep sip of his drink, letting it burn down his throat ]
I'm trying to control it, because my feelings just kind of... leak out, if I don't. Mako was getting kind of confused by all of it.
[ But, that isn't what's important. Manabu doesn't know what to do! Neither does Mako, neither did Lysithea, and he helped her come up with her bakery idea! Maybe he can help Manabu, too. Maybe. ]
Fixing roofs is very noble, Manabu, but is it fun? Do you like it? Like, I had to be the King, back home, but the Raccoon Room is tons more fun, even if it's so much work.
no subject
for a little while, at least.
is it fun?]
It's...not really about fun. That is, I'm...I'm glad you can find something fun to do, Wu, but I...I can't do that. It doesn't sit right with me, I guess.
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[ Wu watches him, wrinkling his nose a little. Sometimes it's difficult to get through to Manabu, that their worlds are so vastly different, but that's kind of the point of all of this, isn't it? Wu spent so much of his life only knowing one type of person, and for the last few years, he's met all sorts of people, for better or worse ]
What do you get out of your work, back home, then?
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so he needs to think less.]
It's more about seeing the job done. Seeing people safely get to...where they meant to be. Being able to...to, you know. Live up to the job. Like my brother and my father before me.
[legacy gigs, amirite?]
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[ Look, he doesn't really know the details of your job, Manabu. "Train stuff" is the extent of his knowledge ]
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My father used to be the captain of the platoon I'm in now...and Mamoru was, ah...well, SPG is more boots-on-the-ground than SDF, but we all work for the same thing in the end. Keeping people safe, I mean.
I guess that makes it something of a family business. Or...calling? [he shrugs.] It was a no-brainer to enlist after them...even if it got complicated after that.
[he pauses, his expression growing more withdrawn. the millstone weight of legacy and the inability to stand up to it is...suffocating.]
But there's...really nothing I can do about it now. [so more's the disorientation, and more's the disappointment and loneliness.]
no subject
No, I suppose not. But that can't be all you're good at, Manabu! Even if that was your career back home, you can totally do other stuff here. I, personally, think you should try some new things and find something you really like, because, well, I hope you liked your old job, but going into the family business is never what I wanted to do.
[ Maybe he could be more empathetic to Manabu's feelings right now, but there's also something about not giving up the past that he's... not good at. He doesn't see the value in dwelling, in not moving on. ]
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Right...that stuff...that was kind of forced on you, no real say. I get that. But it...it wasn't that way for me. [he shifts, letting go of the drink so he can fold his arms on the table.]
I looked up to them, you know? Wanted to be...as good as them, somehow. Be able to...do something with my life so that...when I finally saw them again, I could stand up tall. [and be accepted and all that stuff. it's a fairly easy story to follow, acronyms aside; how many tales of kids trying to own up and fit into the holes their loved ones left behind are there, after all.]
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[ It hits on that part of him, too, that always wonders if he's worth anything without what he does, without his title and his name and his family's birthright, as much as he hates all of it. Without that, who is Wu, anyway? ]
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all the more fuel for the...
...the corpse is not a fire, so the metaphor doesn't entirely work, but. look. you get it.
in any case, the answer comes quickly:] No, no way. They're... [he puffs a bit of a laugh in his breath, shaking his head.] They're leagues above me in a lot of ways. Smarter, braver, taller... [he hesitates, scrunching his nose, quickly amending as he shakes his head:] That-that last bit doesn't matter much, that's just--never mind that. Just--
[he sighs, shoulders shrugging up as he fidgets in his seat.]
They'd...probably not like me whining about it now, either.
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[ He leans in a little with a frown, watching Manabu. He doesn't know if he's helping or not. He doesn't know how to help, and sometimes it feels like he has to, he has to, or terrible things will happen. Isn't that what Kristoff said? Bottling things up leads to nothing good. If only he were still here ]
I don't know them, so I can't really speak to any of that, but I know there are things that you're great at. You're a kind and loyal person, you're incredibly hard working, you're dedicated. You're a wonderful person to know, and you're very hard on yourself. You seem to think you're doing an awful job, while I watch you and think you're doing great! Honestly, I think you could let loose a little.
no subject
never mind that Manabu could talk up the greater virtues of his dad or his partner while they're not here to stop him or anything!
Wu can enjoy the sense of the world's most unbalanced cocktail of feelings: a small shot of discomfort that's failing to blend with the little consolation that praise inevitably brings no matter his reluctance to accept it. the former sinks to the bottom of the mix, while the latter is kept buoyant by the ever-present want to be worthy of the praise given. it's like one of those tiered, colored drinks, only...a person and not a drink.
meekly:] Thanks, Wu... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to worry you.
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