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[terriblepurpose]

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un: younghuman ✦ text ✦ voice ✦ video

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[terriblepurpose]

He does that. Pretends not to realize that acting as if he doesn't care bothers other people. He thinks it's funny.

He must have been surprised, to have been so wrong about you. I wish I had seen it.

He felt it, then?

[asas]

He wasn’t just surprised.

I know that look. He was scared.

[terriblepurpose]

[ The rough hem of a black collar, just beyond his reach, sinking into the depths. Fire caught inside the hollow where a heart should have been beating. ]

Good.

You did well.

[asas]

thanks.
there's just one little problem
👌 about this big

[terriblepurpose]

What's the little problem?

[ With God, there are no little problems. ]

[asas]

he took it. my sword.

[ which may be more of a large problem. ]

[terriblepurpose]

[ Certainly not small, but- ]

It could have been worse.

Do you want it back?

[asas]

well
yeah.
i do.
who knows what he’d want to do with it.
maybe nows not a good time though. he can be expecting it.

[terriblepurpose]

You're right. We'd have to be patient.

But we can figure it out. You, me, Lazarus. Anything we can't do, we can find someone to fill in. He hasn't been making many friends lately.

How many people know it's gone?

[asas]

Three. You, me and Lazarus.

I’m trying to keep it small, just in case.

[terriblepurpose]

That's a good idea.

I won't mention it either. But I'll keep an eye out for news.

It's not your fault he took it. If you might have been thinking otherwise.

[asas]

I don’t think I could’ve stopped it anyway. It’s alright.

[ considering he was— out cold. shōyō slides right over the details. ]

Thanks for the support. For believing in me in the first place.

[terriblepurpose]

I don't know anyone who could have.

I believe in anyone who believes in himself. Still glad that I did.

Get some rest. Keep your head down. If he bothers you, let me know.

[asas]

You got it.

Hey, Paul? One more thing.

[terriblepurpose]

Go ahead.

[asas]

how're you doing?
hard mode: you can't say alright, fine, okay or good

[terriblepurpose]

I don't know.

I should be able to say how I am. I'm tired, I think. Once I get more rest, I'll know.

[asas]

fair. i guess your brain is who’s tired.

well, i have an invitation for you anyway, if it would help your brain get some rest.

[terriblepurpose]

That's true.

I trust your judgment. What's the invitation?

[asas]

meditation, zumba, and volleyball management.
me and pal have like 20 kids at koz

[ yes apparently they are fathers ]

we've got a neat club for volleyball going on and they're getting real into it. i'm so proud.
so we were starting to divide them into real teams so it's funner. more challenges, you know? so if you'd like, we have some new teams looking for adult leaders. they're called "managers".
you basically get to be a senpai every meeting we have. it's free therapy.

[terriblepurpose]

[ His kneejerk reaction, trusted judgment or not, is no. Not because the idea isn't noble, but because he doubts his ability to be of any good - and his welcome.

But it is an idea endorsed by Shōyō, who surely has some sway, and it's a project overseen by Palamedes, who would have no hesitation about removing Paul if he did anything harmful, even without knowing it. And he thinks of how it's been with Falco, and all the things he's learned about dealing with younger people through him.

And it would be a start. ]

I'd be honored to assist you.

I remember the rules of the game from when you showed me. Team competitions are using for drilling unit cohesion and instilling responsiveness to orders.

Meditation I can also help with, but I don't know what zumba is.

[asas]

[ “unit cohesion and instilling responsiveness to orders”— ]

yeah that!! you’ll do great, and you’ll be surprised with how much you learn from them!

that’s good. you’re going to be meditating and doing zumba with me, then, before the kiddie run. consider it the other half of free therapy for your brain 👍

do you like music?

[terriblepurpose]

[ The effusion of support is touching, and a reminder that even if there are times Shōyō seems closer to his age than Lazarus', the other man is his elder. It occurs to Paul, not entirely unhappily, that he's closer to being one of the 'kids' than he is to either of them. So maybe, just once, he can let himself be taken care of, a little. ]

I like music. 👍

This will be good, I think. Too bad for the other teams when mine starts winning.

[asas]

[ competition keeps the heart and soul youthful, but that doesn't take away from shoyo's wisdom (what little he had, anyway). ]

oh, good. you'll need this when you start losing.
VIDEO: SADNESS AND SORROW FUNK REMIX

[terriblepurpose]

[ What in Trenchnation - ]

Shōyō.

Is that zumba?