[network] Day 045 Evening; Audio; @dreamsnhonor; Embrace Your Dreams!!

[heroproceeding]

[ It's curfew. He's shut in. And he's got a lot he's been turning over in his head since that fateful night. A lot that started off with frustration at himself. But sitting on feelings like that's never done anything for him in the past. It won't now. So, he takes a page from one of his old books. And perhaps a page from his late friend's.

It takes him a while to decide on how to approach this. It isn't the first time he's tried to bring up morale despite trying circumstances. But the difference here? He's no First Class well known SOLDIER. He's not talking to a batch of starry-eyed cadets. He's got a few friends here- both from home and from elsewhere -but so many people are still strangers to him.

But even so, they all have something in common. They all have suffered. And they all have a lot they could lose- if they haven't lost a lot already. So, when he finally starts, he tries to keep his tone solid. If there's a sense of authority ringing in his words, there's at least an equal amount of empathy, too. This isn't a demand but a beckoning of something more. Something understanding through the sorrow and the fear. And the frustrations that may come of that. ]

Hey... [ The first word lands softly and he clears his throat. ]

So, I know it hasn't been easy lately. There's been a lot going on. And I'm not going to pretend things are just going to suddenly be okay any time soon. [ There's a creak in the background as he shifts his posture. The next part's not so easy to address, but. It's true and he's not going to act like it isn't. ]

Some of us have lost friends. Even -family. And when that happens, well. It's... It's easy to blame yourself. Easy to lose hope. Or want to give up. And I wouldn't blame you if you did at some point. But as long as you're able to get back up on your feet, that's what I think really matters. [ Another pause. He stands there on the other side of the tablet closing his eyes. Opening them and leaving out a short hum. ]

I don't know what'll help you. Maybe it's some kind of dream. Maybe it's not. I'm not going to ask if you don't want to share. But whatever it is, if it's something that will get you back up, you hold onto that. Whatever reason you have, embrace it.

We're gonna make it out of this, you hear me?

( ooc: GROSS SHOUNEN POST. I'M NOT SORRY. Tell him your dreeeeams, guys. Or mock him. Or roll your eyes at him. Whatever your preference. /thrown off cliff )

Comments

@Mnemosyne; voice

[bookofnope]

[Allow him the honour of being the first asshole in the crowd.]

Oh, splendid. Shall we all hold hands round the fire as we do our sharing? No? Would that happen to be because we are scattered and lost in a deadly, frozen wasteland?

@hotstud_xxx; audio threadjack

[rubikscomplex]

[Well, thank god there's a realist in amongst the idiots.]

I like the cut of your jib, guy. Next time I need someone else to dump ice water on the sparkly, hope-filled puppies, I'll call you.

[heroproceeding]

[ HE IS NOT A PUPPY, OKAY. 8| OH MY GOD.

If this guy ever finds out his nickname.... KUNSEL, YOU BETTER NOT RAT ON HIM. ]

[rubikscomplex]

[ Look at that face. He is absolutely a puppy. ]

What an excellent threadjack I salute you

[bookofnope]

How excellent for us that there is no shortage of ice water, hmm?

[He may just be really really bitter about the whole being able to feel cold again thing.]

[rubikscomplex]

Yeah, I mean, it's probably filled with drugs or whatever, but kids are into that sort of thing, I hear. Might as well get them high on the good stuff @admin's handing out while you're dashing their hopes and dreams.

[bookofnope]

A cynic and a conspiracy theorist. You must be having a wild time around here.

[rubikscomplex]

Oh, man! You don't even know it. So, stay with me here: alien spiders contacted Big Foot, built a giant dome over a town in Alaska a la the Truman Show, and gave all the residents special tablets before sending in some sort of plague. And then, once all the people had died, threatened to destroy the world unless tributes were sent to Alaska to play out their games and continue the program for at least another season. Oh yeah, and to make it interesting, spice it up and cause some friction, the game designers decided to brainwash some of the tributes into thinking they were from other worlds and times.

That's he working theory, anyway.

[bookofnope]

Alternatively, drugs.

[All right, he gets it. Pardon him while he takes it to its logical conclusion:]

Or perhaps it's all you, going mad. A very complex delusion, but not boring, at least.

[rubikscomplex]

Well, I'd have to be pretty selfish to think you guys were all my delusions. I mean, I'm creative, but I'm not 9th Circle of Hell creative like this place is for the whack jobs who pop up.

[bookofnope]

Somehow I'd say that the 'whack job' would be the one who doesn't consider this place to be at least a little hellish.

[rubikscomplex]

Yeah, you know that thing about 'go heaven for the weather, hell for the company?' The weather and the company both suck here. You'll get used to it. Also the spiders are actually a real thing. Don't worry. They're probably just hiding in the vents and watching us while we sleep.

[bookofnope]

The... alien spiders?

[He doesn't sound sarcastic there, actually. That might have struck a chord. He knows a spider story or two, and of course they're pretty bad ones.]

I might say that it beats no company at all, but after our little display here, I'm less convinced.

[rubikscomplex]

Well, we're not sure about the alien thing, but they're definitely robots, at least. [He'll just piecemeal this. Up the anticipation.] Sasquatch is real, too. Also robotic. Run the hell away if you see him. Unless you can't. Then, whine to one of the kids talking about truth, hope, and optimism here. They'll probably come help you.

If you can tolerate them.

@dreamsnhonor; audio

[heroproceeding]

[ THERE'S ALWAYS A CRITIC. So, really. He's not all that surprised. Gonna poke fun at him though? Two can play at that game. ]

Well, hey. If that's not your thing, we can always figure out something else for you to do. I wouldn't suggest ghost stories though. Think you might offend some of them around here. [ Admittedly, the humor in his voice falls kinda flat. It's not been a good day. ]

[bookofnope]

[Oh sure, if by poke you mean vaguely flail at the general vicinity. Don't try to be outsnarking Beckett, kid.]

No more than listening to some trespassers share their hopes and dreams, surely? Being dead does tend to disrupt all of that, after all.

[heroproceeding]

[ Hey, he can try! Just... doesn't mean he'll necessarily succeed.

...Seriously? Yeah, that gets his expression thinning. Gets him thinking of... No, stop. That's not what this is about. Take a breath and settle. ] Look. I know we can't do anything for those people who are already gone. But that doesn't mean we can't still live. And if thinking about things like that helps us out, then why shouldn't we?

[bookofnope]

[All right... yes, even Beckett can admit that that was a bit much. Pardon him. You may have inadvertently stepped on his I-had-a-life-goal-but-then-apocalypse button.]

Whatever helps, certainly. As long as you mean helps, rather than just causes anything from crippling homesickness to unrealistic expectations.

[heroproceeding]

[ Zack just... folds his arms at that. ]

Do you really think that's what this is about? [ Why would he ever go out of his way to intentionally disrupt people like that? And... even if it was unintentional, it's not like he won't try to make amends if he has to... ]

[bookofnope]

That you are deliberately agitating people? No. But I may think that you haven't thought your cunning heroic plan all the way through.

[He may be calling you stupid, Zack. It's okay. He does it to everyone.]

audio; > private

[heroproceeding]

[ That does it. His ears burn as he filters the rest of the discussion. ]

Look, buddy, you wanna be miserable? That's on you. But don't bring other people down with you! If it helps at least one person out of a rut, that's still better than nothing. There's already been too much damn grief around here as it is!

audio; > private

[bookofnope]

[Oh, he likes that fire. Part of Beckett is doing this because he is, indeed, fairly miserable. Another, though, is genuinely invested in dispensing harsh lessons. And the harshest is fresh in his mind.]

Really? And when you have to deliver on the hope that you are offering, what happens then? 'We'll get through this', 'we'll get out of here'. Are you sure these are promises you want to be making?

[heroproceeding]

[ There's a long pause here... And it almost seems like he might just say nothing to that. That he might just hang up on Beckett. Just not bother. But then he speaks up again and there's a hard edge to his words. Something about his voice... It's like for a moment, his tone has aged even if he sounds young. ]

It's not about making promises here. It's about giving 'em a chance to get back on their feet if just right here, right now. No, I might not be able to be there for them all. Or I might fail them even if I am. But I'm not just going to sit here and let it all go to hell! '

[bookofnope]

[A part of Beckett - a part that was for years given to such defiance and refusal to settle, that relished his own brand of mad hope just because it was mad - wonders if he should admire this very human trait, for all he is not given to admiring humans. But it isn't the same. His mad hopes were never for anyone but himself.]

So you'll say whatever seems to be a good idea at the time, and cross your fingers, and hope very hard that no one will come back later to blame you for false reassurance. I'm sure that would work out perfectly. And of course, much easier than sitting down and thinking of a more realistic approach.

[heroproceeding]

[ If Beckett was looking to get him bristling again, well. Score! ]

Oh, you mean like sitting on my hands, not saying anything, and accepting that we're all just gonna die? Because I'm sure that will get us somewhere! But you go ahead and try that! See how far it gets you!

[ Sure, he could back up his argument with how he's been checking the walls in the meantime among all the other plans he has on hand to look for a way out, but really? What explanation does he owe this guy? Oh, that's right. None. Especially since it seems like it'd be a waste anyway. ]