[Adam has a small smile. It's more formal than disingenuous; the two don't know each other well after all, and it's not exactly like things are rosy in Deertown right now.]
I just wanted to check in with you. I know Mako's getting pretty ... involved with things and I know what that feels like.
[When you're dating the town's Number One Voluntary Meat Shield it's kind of inevitable.]
Glad to hear it. We'll need him at 100% for our plan. [His smile softens a bit.] And of course he's a friend.
[Are they okay? He runs a hand back through his hair.]
For given value of okay I suppose. We're both alive, all the usual limbs attached. I'm worried that Takashi is going to throw himself headlong into all the danger he could find.
I got an inkling that Mako and Shiro might share that trait.
[ Wu bobs his head noncommittally. Does Mako have that trait? ]
You know, he might. He just always has a really good excuse for it.
[ He narrows his eyes. Maybe Mako does have that trait. Well, there's another thing to talk about. ]
I know they both want to help. But, ah, sometimes at their own risk. Most of the time, really. The number of times Mako has almost died for me, I swear, Adam...
Yes, they're good men. That's why they do it. Takashi's the same way. He would without hesitation die to keep me safe, along with a number of his other friends. Or an innocent stranger, frankly.
It's part of what I love about him, but it also makes me worried about him. I've tried lecutring, crying, shouting. He's gotten a little better but I'm having to come to terms with the fact that it's just part of him.
Takashi has been in a similar position, with the way things happen around here. There was a situation once where Takashi was ... you know, mentally manipulated the way this town can do to us. He thought he was a knight sworn to protect someone. They're just like this inherently, I think. Something in the way they're wired.
But god do I wish I could shake sense into them. They can't protect us if they get themselves killed, now can they?
[ Wu throws up his arms, forgetting that the Fluid is, you know, in his hand. He accidentally throws it, then sheepishly retrieves it. ]
Oops.
I'm grateful for it, sometimes. I wouldn't be alive without Mako, but I... I wish I could give more back. I wish I could protect him, too.
Something like that happened to Mako too! Not a knight, but a detective who thought he had to keep me safe. I suppose it is just a part of them, no matter what.
[Adam blinks and flinches a bit when his view goes flying, but he's shaking his head with a small smile when it comes back up. Easy enough to forget. It's a good thing you couldn't break these or Takashi probably would have by now.]
We can protect them, in our own ways. I'm Takashi's brakes, for example. I force him to think before he goes off risking his life. To remind them of things like that. I even tried threatening him with being forced to eat his own cooking.
[A huff -- this is a years long battle.]
I made him promise me that he'd think things through more often. Really consider before he runs off. Think about whether or not there's someone he can bring for backup, even if it's not me.
[ Wu laughs a little at that, sheepishly, because he did just throw you. Sorry, Adam. ]
I've heard about his cooking from more than one person. That's a real threat.
You're right. That, I can do that. I try to. A few weeks ago, Mako was working far too hard, trying to make sure that everyone has food and that the caches are taken care of and everything but he was working himself ragged. I tried to make him slow down, but... well.
[ He grimaces. He doesn't really need to admit to a near stranger that he shot his boyfriend in the leg, does he? ]
You two seem to know each other really well. I'm glad you can be that for him. He does seem to have a need to protect people. He's tried to protect me, more than once, and I've only know Shiro for, what, a few months?
You're not kidding. You're talking about a guy who set off the fire alarm because he burned instant noodles.
[Adam slides Wu a sympathetic smile at that, though. He's been there buddy.]
Short of stapling them to the floor we are kind of limited, it's true. Even I'm only successful like, a quarter of the time. And that's with years of knowing each other. I wouldn't take it too personally when you can't keep them in place.
At the end of the day, they love us. Sometimes we have to get through their cloud of "need to protect" and remind them that they're just as important to us. Protecting them is important too.
I think I blew Takashi's mind when I finally got him to understand that for the first time.
[ Wu nods, feeling a bit like he should be taking notes on all this. ]
I'm still trying to get Mako to understand that. I think he does, in his head? But not in the rest of him.
[ He sighs, shaking his head. ]
And I suppose we can't ask them to not risk themselves right now, either. I mean, it is kind of sort of the end of the world, so if there's a time for risk, it's now, but--
[ But he doesn't want to face the end of the world without Mako, either. ]
[Adam nods. Boy is that familiar.] Takashi understood logically first. It took a while for it to really sink in. We're asking them to fight against instinct, you know?
But you'll both get there. So long as you aren't shy about calling him out on it.
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Video: un: notbatman
[Adam has a small smile. It's more formal than disingenuous; the two don't know each other well after all, and it's not exactly like things are rosy in Deertown right now.]
I just wanted to check in with you. I know Mako's getting pretty ... involved with things and I know what that feels like.
[When you're dating the town's Number One Voluntary Meat Shield it's kind of inevitable.]
video; un: wuwho
[ Yep, things sure aren't rosy, but Mako is alive and mostly okay, so it's all good. ]
I'm, ah... okay? Okay. That seems about right. Mako's doing better.
[ He blinks. When he thinks about this, it's a little more concerning. He leans in toward the Fluid a little ]
Are you okay? Is Shiro okay?!
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[Are they okay? He runs a hand back through his hair.]
For given value of okay I suppose. We're both alive, all the usual limbs attached. I'm worried that Takashi is going to throw himself headlong into all the danger he could find.
I got an inkling that Mako and Shiro might share that trait.
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You know, he might. He just always has a really good excuse for it.
[ He narrows his eyes. Maybe Mako does have that trait. Well, there's another thing to talk about. ]
I know they both want to help. But, ah, sometimes at their own risk. Most of the time, really. The number of times Mako has almost died for me, I swear, Adam...
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Yes, they're good men. That's why they do it. Takashi's the same way. He would without hesitation die to keep me safe, along with a number of his other friends. Or an innocent stranger, frankly.
It's part of what I love about him, but it also makes me worried about him. I've tried lecutring, crying, shouting. He's gotten a little better but I'm having to come to terms with the fact that it's just part of him.
Maybe we should start a support group.
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[ Wu agrees with a little frown. Even in a place like this where they come back after they die, he still doesn't want to see it happen. ]
I literally hired Mako to protect me, back home. I suppose, well. It was his job. It's not, anymore.
A support group might be a good idea. We can't be the only ones.
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But god do I wish I could shake sense into them. They can't protect us if they get themselves killed, now can they?
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[ Wu throws up his arms, forgetting that the Fluid is, you know, in his hand. He accidentally throws it, then sheepishly retrieves it. ]
Oops.
I'm grateful for it, sometimes. I wouldn't be alive without Mako, but I... I wish I could give more back. I wish I could protect him, too.
Something like that happened to Mako too! Not a knight, but a detective who thought he had to keep me safe. I suppose it is just a part of them, no matter what.
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We can protect them, in our own ways. I'm Takashi's brakes, for example. I force him to think before he goes off risking his life. To remind them of things like that. I even tried threatening him with being forced to eat his own cooking.
[A huff -- this is a years long battle.]
I made him promise me that he'd think things through more often. Really consider before he runs off. Think about whether or not there's someone he can bring for backup, even if it's not me.
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I've heard about his cooking from more than one person. That's a real threat.
You're right. That, I can do that. I try to. A few weeks ago, Mako was working far too hard, trying to make sure that everyone has food and that the caches are taken care of and everything but he was working himself ragged. I tried to make him slow down, but... well.
[ He grimaces. He doesn't really need to admit to a near stranger that he shot his boyfriend in the leg, does he? ]
You two seem to know each other really well. I'm glad you can be that for him. He does seem to have a need to protect people. He's tried to protect me, more than once, and I've only know Shiro for, what, a few months?
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[Adam slides Wu a sympathetic smile at that, though. He's been there buddy.]
Short of stapling them to the floor we are kind of limited, it's true. Even I'm only successful like, a quarter of the time. And that's with years of knowing each other. I wouldn't take it too personally when you can't keep them in place.
At the end of the day, they love us. Sometimes we have to get through their cloud of "need to protect" and remind them that they're just as important to us. Protecting them is important too.
I think I blew Takashi's mind when I finally got him to understand that for the first time.
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I'm still trying to get Mako to understand that. I think he does, in his head? But not in the rest of him.
[ He sighs, shaking his head. ]
And I suppose we can't ask them to not risk themselves right now, either. I mean, it is kind of sort of the end of the world, so if there's a time for risk, it's now, but--
[ But he doesn't want to face the end of the world without Mako, either. ]
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But you'll both get there. So long as you aren't shy about calling him out on it.
[A smirk.]
Something tells me you won't be.
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Did someone tell him? Did Mako tell Shiro? Did Shiro tell Adam? Is Adam going to yell at him?!
Frantically: ] I didn't mean to shoot him! I swear I didn't! It was an accident!
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That. Wasn't even close to what he expected.]
You... shot him?
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[ Wu snaps out, then shuts his mouth, looking away from the Fluid. He grimaces ]
And it, ah, inadvertently made him stop working so much.
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Did it help him understand why you wanted him to stop in the first place?
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I don't know if I'd recommend it. It made his brother threaten me.
[ He nods with a little smile ]
Yeah. It did. He's slowed down, now. And I think it's only partially because his leg is hurt.