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

[searingwing]

I consider not having to fight myself to keep from attacking vile and Warm bloods an easier time, yes. [He glances to the side at the shelves. Then he takes out his journal and leafs back through the pages. He taps the page.]

But, talk to me about what’s going on with you. I haven’t noticed anything strange this month. I could be missing it and that’s likely. I imagine anyone who has anxiety would miss a month we were influenced to be so.

That’s just an example.

[siriusly]

[he rubs the back of his head, looking down at the journal in Diluc's hands.]

I dunno, it...feels more like something's been messing with my head lately. Getting me stirred up over dumb stuff. Not--not like starting punch-outs in the street, at least! But just...

[...,]

Weird stuff.

[searingwing]

[The journal notes in a short notes what influences he felt. Dread and anxiety he couldn’t explain the first month. Whispers that were in a language he couldn’t understand.

Unexplained hostility to vile and warm bloods. People feeling comfortable and cozy around him. Diluc watches him with a patient stare.]

Define the ‘weird stuff’. You do seem a bit warier.

[siriusly]

You can't blame wariness, can you? Like, weird stuff or not... [that seems justified to him!

he huffs, turning away, strolling down the rows of nameless spines before poking at one or two.]

I don't know. I just know...I'm off. Thinking about stupid stuff. That's why I gotta stay focused on this, because this kind of thing is way more important, you know?

[searingwing]

[He stares at him. Stupid stuff. What the hell does he mean? Polite. He has to be-]

I’m afraid I don’t follow. Could you explain what you’re finding yourself straying to?

I assure you we will continue our discussion of charting and monsters but, I’d like to know what you’re getting at.

[siriusly]

[hhhhh. why can't stupid stuff just translate properly without any further explanation or judgment.

he buys himself some time by rubbing at his face and pacing away a couple feet.]

I, I dunno! [not true. he grimaces.] I mean-- [hhh.] I can't stop...thinking about...how other people are getting along. [...] Together, I guess. C-coupled up.

[he whirls around quickly to emphatically make clear:] Which is fine! It's good, actually! That's...how people operate, right? Needing other people. [he starts to wither with a wincing expression.]

That's just...not how I get to operate. For a lot of reasons. And that shouldn't bother me, but I'm bothered. [his eyebrow twitches, aware of the feeling of static creeping under his skin and fluffing his hair.] And it's messing with my head! Okay?

Stupid stuff.

[searingwing]

[Silence. Diluc sets his journal down on the nearby table and crosses his arms. Then thinks back. He had been reluctant to go further with Kaeya until...

He nods to himself once. What's done is done and he has no regrets. He says out loud.] Interesting.

[He holds a hand up to forestall any reply. He needs a moment to order his thoughts.] This does seem like a blood influence. I'll have to ask around but, this seems to support my thought that we're just being influenced by the gods acting out their own stories.

A month we're told about Bonds and how to make them, and then feelings such as these. As you said, there's nothing wrong with them. But you don't have a choice about having thoughts about the idea.

[siriusly]

[bonds...right...

Manabu exhales in a huff.]

I don't know whether or not I should be glad it's not my fault... I'm getting sick of being jerked around by other people, you know?

[searingwing]

[Diluc closes the distance between them and gently grips Manabu’s shoulder. He gives it a light squeeze as he quietly says,]

I know. It is upsetting and rage inducing. We can’t change it or even convince them to stop. All we can do is live with it and that isn’t fair.

Remember you’re not alone. Remember who you are. If you need to burn off energy we can do more lessons. With weapons or magic. Or anything else you wish to learn from me. Hard to think when you’re too exhausted to stand.

[siriusly]

[there's an inevitable and involuntary bristle to being touched without warning, leaving Manabu stuck tensely in place as his heartrate spikes. still, he willfully gulps his heart back down, ears stinging a little with Diluc's words.]

Mn... [...] I can't exactly...do my best for everyone like this, either. I need to...be better at handling things. And that only works if I practice, right?

[he turns his head slightly. it's his blind eye's side, but he can still get a sense of Diluc behind him.]

I need to get better with that saber, you know. If I'm going to be able to make it out on the perimeter or further.

[searingwing]

My apologizes, I mean additional lessons on top of the ones we are already doing. You are doing well so far, and I do want to push you a little because I know you can do even better.

Only a little bit of a push, I will begin to change what weapons I use against you. The more practice you have against other weapons and how to repel them, the better.

[He won’t be a terrible arms master and use his best first. A spear and a bow, wouldn’t be bad. Or an axe. He lets go of him, giving him a little more space. He’s felt him tense.]

With your permission, of course.

[siriusly]

[he gives out a soft affirmative, looking back ahead.]

Absolutely. Between you and Childe...I should be able to make some good headway, keep ahead of this crap.

[searingwing]

[That makes him pause and there is a visible recalculation going on his head.] What has Childe taught you so far?

Just curious. [Bullshit. Diluc is reshuffling proverbial papers on his head. He schemes as much as any other tactically minded person among his friends.

One reason of many he is so dangerous.]

[siriusly]

[Manabu takes a step away, clearing the hand before turning back around to look at Diluc.]

Mostly footing and precision exercises. Says it'll make more sense for a thin weapon with projectiles.

That makes sense, right? It does to me...

[searingwing]

[Footing and precision from one of most dangerous warriors he has ever known. In one on one to the death he doesn’t know who would win, him or Childe.]

Yes, it does. And in time, I can discuss it with Childe and we can put together a course for you to practice everything we’re teaching you.

[siriusly]

[he nods.] That'll work out great, actually. [beat.

wait.]

...Wait, that extra work... What can I give back in exchange? That kind of thing...

[it can't be free.]

[searingwing]

[Ah, they’re back to this. He considers what could be a trade. But he already knows what he wants in return.] Jot down what doesn’t feel right, month to month. It doesn’t have to be personal or detailed. Just note if you feel influenced or not.

How you feel pushed would be ideal. You don’t have to do it. Teaching you means we have another protector to save more lives. But I would appreciate it.

[siriusly]

Eh...?

[journaling? that sounds suspiciously like self-care, Diluc...]

Are you collecting that kind of stuff from people?

[searingwing]

Yes. The moment I realized I was being influenced I started writing things down. And asking others to do the same. The only way to see the truth is to view all the angles.

[Only in recording things where the mind can’t argue against it can one see the light. He would do all he could to make sure Justice had its due.]

[siriusly]

[Manabu utters a soft 'oh' to that in response at first, because... oh. that...]

That... Makes sense, yeah...

[searingwing]

And it is a fair trade to ask you for it. If coldbloods are being influenced one of us could alert the other.

[He nods once and looks at the shelves.] And you could see where you are being pushed. It helps with the resistance.

[siriusly]

[true, true...

okay, this...makes a lot of sense. it's almost...good protocol! the way the SDF would operate! Manabu nods, buying into it more and more by the second.]

Mn, you're right. It could help out others too, so...so I should at least give it an effort.

[beat.]

...Man...when was the last time I wrote anything by hand? Gradeschool...?

[searingwing]

[That makes him raise an eyebrow. But Manabu comes from a higher tech society so he asks,] What did you use instead?

[A device like an Omni?]

[siriusly]

Aa, computers and tablet screens mostly. [he hesitates.] Do they have computers where you're from? Consoles or holo-terminals...

[searingwing]

[Diluc shakes his head.] No.

If we had that I would have a lot less paperwork for the winery. We have books and scrolls. Whatever the ancients had…it seems a bit like you and others have described. Just operated by magic.