late bloomer jokes [feb catchall - open & closed prompts]

[siriusly]

Who: Manabu & others
What: Misc hijinks
When: February
Where: Misc locations

Content Warnings: Will be marked in tls/comments as needed

February is weird. Manabu feels...weird. He's always an impatient kind of person, needing to always be moving somewhere or doing something, but this is a different kind of impatience. More and more, he's noticing the way couples interact, double-taking at public displays of affection which he'd typically fluster and look the other way at. He pines for a lot of things here in Trench: his family, his coworkers, his job... but he's not used to pining for things like...y'know, hand-holding.

So goes Manabu Yuuki's 24-year old awakening to romantic pining; it's going to be coloring a lot of the month for him! And that's weird and confusing for him, so you bet this'll be coloring the way he interacts with folks he runs into! Lots of word spaghetti, lots of hair frizzing with static, and some apple-red cheeks...at least he has the cold weather to blame for that.

...Even if he's a coldblood.

Shut up. It's nothing!!!

---

open prompts

o1. Willful Machine: Errands and Odd Jobs
[regardless of these roiling, blood-based feelings throwing him off his game, Manabu still throws himself into work of all sorts. he does errands and handiwork around the Roost for Diluc, but also picks up the occasional odd job for locals - Sleepers and natives alike. he's a jack of many trades and definitely master of none, but what he lacks in expertise he makes up with patience and determination.

perhaps you see him replacing tiles on a store's roof, or maybe he's hauling a wagon full of winter supplies, or part of a small squad lifting some heavy furniture by pulley up to a second floor, or simply carrying someone's groceries! either way, prime encounter opportunity.

also, Magnet is always there: that little mutt's noisy, but friendly, and always apt to bounding away from Manabu to sniff out a friend or potential friend...or at least some pets.]

---

o2.The Gate: Gunswordplay
[maybe it's too much to bank on, but smacking around the unsnake last month's given Manabu a boost of combat confidence (never mind the concussions)! that said, he definitely needs to get better at this gravity saber business; swords are really archaic, but seem to be quite a common thing here! and look, he wouldn't admit it, but he wants to be cool with the swords, too.

here Manabu can be found a couple hours before sundown after busy workdays, stretching and then trying to master balanced, repeated strikes on dummies with slashes or sparks of flame...boring stuff, but he knows it builds results. still, if anyone's itching to spar, he'll jump at that.]

---

o3. Gaze: Research
[if things are too slow as far as work goes, Manabu will veer off and go to the Archives - a place he actually hasn't made a point to visit much before! he's not a big studying kind of guy, but he knows the plans he has in mind require a lot more research and thought than just running on hunches and rumors.

also? he wants maps. an atlas feels like a reach, but if he can cobble together some maps...

so that's what he's up to: cringing and veering away from ickier aisles of oddities, picking at the spines of assorted books in increasingly lessening hope.

what's it take to find a map of the world around this place...!?]

Comments

[onerthes]

[She'd been a pack mother for several generations. Definitely a bad habit she couldn't break easily.]

That sounds like an excellent start. In reality? We were bound to need to do this eventually. Even if it's just an explorative foray to verify what's out there, the need for it was too great to simply avoid, so I'm glad that someone is looking into it.

When you're getting your expedition ready, you'll let me know, yes?

[siriusly]

[nodnod.]

Of course. I need contacts back here to keep things in context, after all. [his eyes wince.] Because I bet blood-things might happen on top of everything...

[onerthes]

Hmmm, yes. That seems like a certainty. And actually that makes me consider something specific. You'll want blood supplies, just in case. Stored properly of course. And if you can make sure you have one of the ministers with, that could help in case there's trouble. I know that's probably obvious, but it came to me as this is a long journey.

[siriusly]

[he grimaces a little. blood supplies...]

That's a good point... But you think I'll really find a minister willing to stick their neck out for something like this? Most locals seem pretty rooted to where they're at, for better or worse.

[onerthes]

In truth? One of the sleepers serving as a minister is your best bet. There are a few, and some would be fascinated by the research opportunities. You might inquire with Dr. Winters. He has several research projects at any time, but the possibility of exotic samples would enthrall him.

[siriusly]

[the idea that folks like them was up to the same weird stuff that was going on before they washed up is...

...okay, it's not that weird? but it's still weird. weird to him. Manabu Yuuki: never stop being weirded out by weird things.

he hesitates before asking:] This Dr. Winters guy...can he fight, too? Like, the kinds of horrible stuff the Hunters are out nightly dealing with.

[onerthes]

[Could Albert Wesker handle himself in a fight... hahaha. Yeah, "Doctor Winters" could absolutely throw down.]

I wouldn't worry about it too much. He comes from quite the rough and tumble reality. He's always been able to handle himself. He might relish the challenge.

[siriusly]

[he breathes out a thoughtful sound.] I'll have to make note of it...

[...]

If I can even...get this off the ground in a meaningful way. [he scowls around the shelves.] Seriously, not a single atlas?!

[onerthes]

There's always the possibility that someone who managed to go out there hid those documents for their own reasons. I'm starting to wonder how many of the lacking pieces of information are slightly intentional.

[siriusly]

[he glances over at her with a curious lift of his eyebrows.]

Hidden...on purpose? [Manabu's a bit too honest and trusting, even now: rarely is his first thought that someone in authority is doing something dubious! space cops, man.] That...that doesn't seem right. I mean, people only benefit when they're able to know as much as they can about their circumstances...right?

[onerthes]

Ever since the Zealots, I've begun to wonder if some of the information we might have wanted wasn't stolen at some point. I can't be sure, however. I just have suspicions that when that group came into existence, the regular citizens may have needed to rebuild their lore.

And they only seek to benefit themselves.

[siriusly]

[ah--]

Those crazy guys...you're right. It'd probably help them out to keep everyone in the dark, huh.

[he rubs at the back of his head, frowning.] They're not easy to track down, either...and even if you do, trying to deal with even one of them? [not a great idea.]

[onerthes]

And it would help them to maintain the monopoly on their information they learned before they lost their minds. I don't know what, if anything, they've sealed away. But I strongly suspect we may be rebuilding pieces they took away.

And... no, I don't recommend dealing with them. I trust the maps you'll make far more than any they have.

[siriusly]

[Manabu sighs.]

Right... That just means...getting out there is even more important. [he nods, expression hardening with resolve.] I gotta do this right. Or at least...get us a good head start for other, better people to see through.

[onerthes]

[She nodded.] Just starting the process will help them to know that it's possible. Have you considered putting a call out to the network when the time comes, asking for volunteers?

[siriusly]

O-of course! Like I said, I'm not gonna go off and get myself killed...and there's no way I'd try to do this without backup! [he hesitates, then shrugs.] And...there's way stronger people than me to do this. I just...maybe I just need to give things a little push, is all. Before more craziness can drop in on everyone.

[onerthes]

Sometimes? It isn't about having the superior skill or power. It's about having the will to do it. Not everyone has that urge that specifically makes them go out to do what needs to be done.

But come. No more mothering and protecting. How can I help you get lost into the hinterlands, if we have no maps, mmm?

[siriusly]

[his hair fluffs with a little static at mothering and protecting - GOSH, Vira-Lorr, he's a grown man!! such a cool adult ok!!

huff.

right...back-on task. how, indeed... he looks around, eyes lingering over at a far window, and then up...]

I wonder... if there's tools to be able to survey from the sky?

[onerthes]

[She did this to grown men all the time. It was just in the nature of her life. Grinning at him, she laughed at the little huff before listening to him.]

It's not a bad idea. I'm not sure. That will depend on if someone has the power to do it. The risk I can imagine is that it will leave you more exposed in the process.

[siriusly]

[he sighs.]

Just like anything else, yeah. At some point, there's really nothing you can do except try.

So I'll try. And hopefully...there'll be some good to come from it.

[onerthes]

That's the idea. [She nodded.] And I'm hopeful that you'll be successful regardless. If you learn something worth bringing back, who knows?

You might find a site for a second town to form...

[siriusly]

Or find a second town already thriving! [that's his hope, anyway.] Mn, yeah! Either way...I wanna make sure I do my best right at the start so I don't lead anyone down a bad path.

[a beat.

he scowls at the shelves.]

...And a map would've been great, but I guess...I'll just have to make up for it by training for a fight.

[onerthes]

That would be even better, yes. The idea that this world is populated besides ourselves. [She nodded.] And perhaps brush up on some cartography while you're getting ready, since you'll be making the map won't you?

[siriusly]

[Manabu sighs before the fade out from scene because ain't that just the way. drawing practice.]