deercountry | (no subject)

I'm glad. [quite genuinely, really.] You shouldn't have to be afraid of something that's part of you.

[not that he's going to self-reflect much on that.]

No, definitely not. I don't think it's good for the person lashing out either. They can't learn to change to be better if you don't stand up. [a pause] That must have been really hard to do if it was your father.

He just wanted to keep me safe. I know he did. But soon he wouldn't let me do anythin' because he was afraid I wouldn't be safe, and, well...it made me feel trapped.

[Thankfully her father learned just how stifling his behavior had been, but it was still a long time coming.]

If we both just kept doin' what we were told because we were too scared to do anythin' else, neither of us would be happy.

Did you talk to him about it? [the past tense here is a hopeful one at least. though daunting, imagining having to have that sort of conversation with a parent.]

My brother can be kind of protective like that. Not the same way, but I think the same idea. He gets really worried about things that can happen, things he imagines happening. It sounds like your dad was the same.

We did, for a little while. But a lot was happenin' all at once, and...

[It wasn't until tensions were at their highest when they both realized what they needed to do to make things right.]

Well, things did turn out alright in the end. But it was hard. [Especially with a whole army out for your blood.]

Did you talk to your brother about that?

[boy, he kind of understands the feeling of everything getting way worse before it manages to get better. it makes him nod.] I'm sorry it couldn't be easier, especially when you're dealing with something so new like this. Um, the powers I mean. That was confusing enough.

Oh, well... a bit. [a glance to his hand.] Things have been a lot better than they were at least. [another pause and he looks up to ask,] Did something make your dad protective like that?

I wish it could have been easier, but at least we were both able to make things right.

[And ultimately, she and her father were both able to help Mebh in the end, which was what she'd promised Mebh earlier.]

...before Mother died, Father promised her he'd keep me safe. And after we had to move, he was scared of either of us bein' put in the stocks.

[Even with the threat of being arrested over their heads, though, she still couldn't live that kind of life.]

[ah, that really did explain a lot. he nods, though-]

Would... you have been in trouble for having this power? [that made sense too in a depressing way.]

Father's a hunter, and the Lord Protector hired him to kill wolves. That's why we had to move to Ireland, because they wanted to get rid of the wolves there. I wanted to help him at first, but, well...things changed.

[Especially after she ran into Mebh and Mebh bit her by accident.]

Everybody in town was afraid of wolves. They caught Mebh's mother, and they wanted to kill her, too. Father almost did it, but I had to stop him.

[honestly part of him is just glad to hear 'ireland,' that's a name he's familiar with, from a world that makes a lot more sense to him than the trench. but he tries to focus with a very faint frown.]

I don't understand, what did the wolves do? [he supposes a wolf is kind of scary if you run into one in the forest, but this seems pretty extreme to him.]

They were attackin' the woodcutters and the sheep. But that's because the woods they live in were bein' cut down for more farmland.

[Farmland meant to feed the English who came over, not that Robyn really knows this.]

I wanted to help Mebh and the wolves leave the woods for somewhere safe before it was all cut down. I thought Father could help too, but he wouldn't listen.

[ah, complicated. it reminded mob a little of those clients who wanted to drive the spirit family from their home, though admittedly those spirits didn't even remotely fight back. still-]

The um, the normal world and the weird side of the world, sometimes it seems really hard for them to live together. Maybe because they don't understand each other. [in this case the natural vs manmade, but that is beyond his level of critical thinking.]

What happened to the wolves in the end?

Maybe. I wish they could, though.

[Robyn sometimes wonders if that's why most people don't normally see things like mermaids and fairies. After all, the Wolfwalkers turned out to be real where she's from, so who knows what other stories could be true?]

We left with them. All of us--me, Father, and Mebh and her mother. We got a wagon fixed up and went to find somewhere we could all live together.

[That's what she was doing before she ended up here in Trench, at least. And even if the future was uncertain for all of them, at least they'd have each other.]

[a pause and he decides,] I think they can, even if there's fighting at first. Everyone can change, even if they're stubborn.

Just um, it'd be nice if that happened without all the drama and fighting. [a little exhale like a sigh there.

but! that answer has him lift his head, lips quirking.] That's great. Well, not that you had to leave, but that you got to be together.

I think you're right about that. People can change.

[She wasn't sure if her father could, but he overcame his own fears in the end.]

I don't think things would go well for us if we stayed. I didn't much like livin' there, anyway. [After all, the townsfolk were still afraid of wolves.]

They usually just need other people around to help with that. [another valuable lesson he learned, people need people. if anything everything in robyn's story is proving that to him too.

fair though, since-] I guess if you're a wolf sometimes having more forests and open places to run around would be better too. [his expert opinion on the matter here.]

Well, runnin' as a wolf is lots of fun. [Robyn definitely learned that the first night she left her body behind and Mebh helped her get used to it.]

It's not just that, though. Before we moved, Father and I lived in a village out in the country. I've always like bein' out in the woods rather than stayin' in town all the time.

[Of course, here in Trench there aren't a whole lot of other options. And Trenchwood isn't exactly the best woodland experience.]

Is smelling things that way fun? [his vague understanding of how wolves work, he is curious.]

I only ever lived near the city, that must have been nice. [hm, trench though.] It's a shame the woods around here are so dangerous.

It was nice. Me and me friends could go and play wherever we wanted.

[Things got harder after they moved to Kilkenny and Robyn was made to stay in town and work all day...but at least she met Mebh.]

It's...different. You can smell lots of things and people more strongly. You can see their scents, too. [That makes them easier to track, at least.] I can still see them when I'm human, sometimes, but not for very long.

I think I saw a little of that in your memory, the colors. [it was cool when it wasn't disorienting, which what things in the trench aren't really?]

I guess there aren't a lot of places to run that are safe in the Trench though.

Not really, no. I go down to the beach sometimes to run, though.

[It's not quite as exhilarating as running through the woods at night, but at least there's enough space when new people aren't being washed up on the shore.]

[hmmm] Sensei Larusso says we should use the buddy system a lot here. Like making sure not to go out alone all the time?

I'm not always good at following it. [whoops] But if you wanted to go run as a wolf I'd go with you. [just an offer, he wouldn't mind going down to the beach sometimes like that. maybe trying to run too, body improvement club is a lifestyle obviously.]

Alright. I'm tellin' you now, though, I'm a pretty good runner when I'm a wolf.

[It's probably a good idea not to go out alone so much here...not that Robyn will admit that she's a bit wary of going through some areas by herself.]

Oh, er...I'm Robyn, by the way. Robyn Goodfellowe. [Even if Mob heard her father say her name when seeing her memories, she feels she should introduce herself anyway.]

It will be good practice then. [he will fall many times and definitely not keep up but honestly? probably still will be fun. maybe even more so than a normal run.] I'm trying to get better at running.

I'm Kageyama Shigeo- Shigeo is my first name. People call me Mob. [culture stuff. have a very small smile.] It's nice to meet you.

Mob? What do they call you that for? [It's certainly one of the stranger nicknames Robyn has heard.]

The characters of my name can be read that way. [also some people were just being a little mean and calling him boring but that's a whole other thing.]