012. Video/Action for Goldenrod City

[ardent]

[VIDEO]

[Ishimaru is outside again today, seeming to be taking advantage of the nice weather while it holds; at least he's looking at the camera today, and his gaze is shifting...a little less, maybe. He still seems a bit tired but at least he's calm; the view behind him is, once again, that square in Goldenrod near the Center.]

The place I came from put a lot of emphasis on punishment...both for what we did, and what we didn't do. Failure to act in a certain way, to do as we were told, was punished; failure to not act in the way that we were expected to was likewise punished. Rules and laws and "justice" were used to control us, not to guide or help us; instead of keeping us safe, they were used to tear us down.

No matter what we did, we were going to be wrong.

[His voice remains firm but calm through all that; he's not shouting, but he doesn't seem about to cry, either. Just...working through it, really.]

When situations are hard like that, and seem unwinnable, it's easy to forget what justice is intended for. It's meant to protect people, and most importantly, it's meant to give people hope - for themselves, and for the future!

So even if...even if you haven't always done what's right, even if you've made mistakes or taken punishment - if you choose to do right afterwards, the wrong you've done doesn't have to define you!

I think there comes a time when you deserve to be considered good again!

[...yep, there's the shouting.]

It's not going to be easy - it's something I'm still working on, too. But if we're willing to work hard and not lose hope, I think we'll all be all right, in the end! We just have to do our best.

I hope today is both good and productive for you, and if not, I know that tomorrow will be better!


[ACTION]

[Returning to Goldenrod City has been...strange.

It's not strange in the way that coming to a new place tends to be strange, or perhaps returning to an old place that's changed drastically in your absence; there's no lack of familiarity, and if anything the strangeness is caused by just the opposite - there's a weird sense of returning home to it, and Ishimaru isn't entirely sure what to do with that. He hasn't felt that way since before Hope's Peak; it's weird to experience it now, but it's not altogether unwelcome.

...granted, it's not something he has long to dwell on; he finishes the video and takes a while to just...collect himself, but eventually he heads back to the house. And as soon as he manages to get the front door opened there's a sudden sharp skittering of nails against the floor and the vibrations of twenty-odd Eevees hup-hup-hupping their way down the stairs, and he flinches a little and braces for the moment where the swarm hits -

And then there's a thud, and there is quite simply nothing.

...

... ... ...

Huh.

It takes him a moment to open his eyes, given that they'd slid closed while he was in the middle of preparing for impact; apparently the thud was the fuzzball legion all sitting in unison, and now they're just kind of parked on the floor and headtilting like confused pugs because grandpa's home and we sat and why is he just standing there.

He's clearly going to be spending some time playing with the fuzzballs today, because oh my god they did so well. c: ]

Comments

[ACTION]

[diamondo]

[Guess who comes trooping up not long after that massive thud? It looks like Mondo's been chilling in the basement for a little while today. He brightens up immediately when he sees Ishimaru, however.]

Kyoudai! Shit, you're back already?

[He approaches, working his way through the horde of Eevees and then promptly stopping once he gets closer to Ishimaru. He wants to hug Ishimaru or at least rest a hand on his shoulder, but he hesitates at the last second, looking like he's not really sure if everything's okay.]

...So uh, how was the trip back?

[ardent]

[Well, at least some of the Eevees will do Mondo the courtesy of shuffling out of the way, though that kind of leads them to shuffling into each other and before long the right side of the horde is more like a pile than anything. But you know what, they tried.

Ishimaru does notice the fact that Mondo is keeping his distance, but he doesn't move to close it.]

It was fine!

[...

...right, that's one of those questions again, isn't it.]

It wasn't nearly as bad as it was going up, because we went around the ice path this time. But Blackthorn itself was good, and the trip back was uneventful!

[diamondo]

[Oh look, you've learned!]

Uneventful's pretty good, yeah. So you and Naegi had fun in Blackthorn, right? How were the hot springs?

[video]

[awesmazings]

[It's likely some time after Ishimaru has managed to get settled back home before he'll find someone responding to his earlier video. Jimmy had just been forcing his way through a particularly dense patch of undergrowth with...admittedly more wild encounters than he'd been prepared for.

So he might be holding a near-beat water weasel flopped like a wet noodle in his arms, currently. He's ok, really, but Jimmy needs to learn to babysit better and not let the baby Pokemon hurl themselves into battles.]

I think you're exactly right! No matter who you are, or what you've done, everyone deserves that.

[The 'Gear shifts as he moves to lean back against a tree he's resting beneath. From this angle it's a bit clearer that he's got some small twigs stuck in his shirt and some leaves in his hair here and there. What have you been doing, child.]

I hope you have a good day too!

[video]

[ardent]

[After the last month or so, Ishimaru is actually not going to argue the merit of sitting and just existing for a little while; he's been traveling for the last three weeks or so, and he deserves to rest for a bit.

He's also been a bit overwhelmed by various things so he's taken to staring at nothing again, which is decidedly less good since it means he's kind of disappeared into his head again; the sound from the device manages to startle him back into the world, however, and he's quite suddenly aware that he's on the couch in the lounge and Eeveemaru is on his lap - he puts the poor confused thing down onto the cushion next to him while he responds, only to have the Eevee turn around and try to figure out if he can hup his way onto the back of the couch.

Ishimaru isn't paying him much mind, however, while he works on turning a video feed on.]

Thank you - my day has been fine, I just got back from traveling over a part of the region I hadn't been to before. It was exciting, but it's good to be home now!

[...]

...It looks like you're doing the same thing.

[video]

[awesmazings]

[He nods a little, lifting his Buizel a bit higher in his arms. Lucky, for once, doesn't struggle or protest, sorta just....there.]

Mhm! I've been on Route 30 for, um...this is the third day, I think! Or...maybe the second...

I'm still kinda new here so I'm trying to get to Violet City.

[It was surprisingly fast going at first, but he's slowed considerably since.]

[video]

[beholdmydemons]

[...Oh ffs, what is this week, Let's See How Many Uncomfortable Things We Can't Resist Answering week?

Of course, this one isn't going to get the full onslaught of Opinions, but...]

I wonder, in those situations, if it's any good to believe in deserving at all. If all it does is give you another reason to doubt yourself - you'll never be certain you have the measure of what you deserve, after all.

...It's a pretty sentiment, though. And...you sound sure enough.

[Walter's really shit at padding his criticism but he'll make a special effort because you seemed kind of weird the last few times you showed up. He's not trying to be an ass, just...]

[video]

[ardent]

[...Wal...ter...]

...I'm not sure what you mean - can you clarify a bit?

[video]

[beholdmydemons]

That...uh. Well, that you have to say, "you deserve to be considered good"...who decides what's deserved? I hear the word and think, if I'd done something "wrong" and put that much stake in thinking I deserved...to not be punished after a while? It'd only make me fear that I didn't have the right of it after all. Deserving is something other people choose for you. I can't see it as anything but a torment, really.

[...Honestly it's probably a heaping serving of religious anxiety that's sitting behind this kind of attitude but there you have it.]

But that you can say it so firmly must mean it has some power, regardless of what I believe. So don't take it too much to heart.

[video] lol this contrast to kimblee's post

[soundmind]

That's the spirit! [He seems a lot more like himself than in the previous days, this is good.] You're right, everybody deserves a second chance. Some of the bad things they did might not have been under their own power, either. Whatever the case, being understanding can make a big difference.

[video] kimblee is a nihilist and ishimaru is lawful stupid, this was bound to happen someday

[ardent]

That's how I've come to think of it as well - the situation I'm familiar with involved a lot of wrongful acts, but they were all done under coercion. Even if that isn't a valid defense, it doesn't mean the coerced people are bad.

They're people who made mistakes - and while justice should be dealt for those mistakes, the role of justice in this case is also to ensure they can move forward eventually.

[video]

[soundmind]

[At this, she looks distant, maybe wistful too.

What, Maka, this is no time to go off in lala-land, but in actuality she's thinking of a friend of hers.]

I have a friend who never wanted to hurt or do bad things to anyone, but their mother was cruel and wanted to make a demon out of them, so she coerced and neglected them until only the option to kill remained since it would make her "proud." When I reached out and really listened to how they were feeling, I was able to become their friend.

This friend is very dear to me, and I know that no matter what happens it's not something they actually wanted. So. I'm still not exactly sure what happened with you and your classmates back at home, but...I understand where you're coming from.

action;

[superordinary]

[ Naegi shows up at the house sometime later, having gone to the Goldenrod department store to ask if he can start working there again tomorrow.

...Don't mind him, he's going to join Ishimaru in playing with the fuzzballs. Naevee in particular seems happy to see him and makes these really cute noises when Naegi scratches its belly. ]

It's good to be home, isn't it?

action;

[ardent]

[So many pettings for these fuzzballs, good lord.]

...It is. I...

[He trails off for a moment before smiling a bit.]

Well, I missed it more than I'd thought I would.

action;

[superordinary]

Me too. I think was starting to get a little homesick.

[ He's probably going to be here all day petting these things let's be real here. ]

Looks like these furballs missed us.

D: PARKER actually doesn't pop up behind him for once

[nostabbing]

[She does, however, peek around the corner of one of the doorways, having heard the Eevees on their forward march and come to investigate their Most Excellent Good Job of sitting like decent human beings.

...figuratively speaking.]

[ardent]

[They're sitting like civilized people. c:

And their efforts are clearly not in vain, as Ishimaru is going to be kneeling down in front of them and distributing pettings rather liberally for the time being. He's still looking a bit tired-out, though it's more from the trip than from the usual deep exhaustion that's been plaguing him lately; overall, though, he smiling a bit, and he seems...okay. Not particularly stellar, but okay.

Sometimes okay is the best you can really ask for.

For now, however, he has fluffy things to pet and, apparently, a spot check to fail, sorry about that Parker.]

[video]

[lieutenantantichrist]

[Blake is under a tree in the park, watching Emily's Gallade do some kind of fight practice dance. It was strangely relaxing to watch, like a karate lava lamp.

Ishimaru looks good. Like himself again. Even yells some, like himself, and that puts a shadow of a smile on Blake's face.

He didn't have any way to know just how home he was striking. For once, Blake thinks before speaking.]

I don't know if I can believe that.

[He's not looking at the phone. His eyes are on the Gallade, where it turns and brings its legs up in a smooth arc.

The least this kid deserves is honesty.]

I'd like to, though.

[video]

[ardent]

[Ishimaru takes a moment before responding, trying to gather his words before saying anything; it's something he's discussed with his classmates here once in a while, but if returning home has taught him anything, it's that his experiences aren't other people's.

It was a hard lesson, that.]

I have trouble believing it too, sometimes.

I'm not saying that bad things are just going to go away, or we can forget about them - we have to take responsibility for what we did. But if we're willing to do that at all, I think that's a good thing.

video;

[lullabytes]

[ The yawn has nothing to do with the speech and everything to do with Nanami staying up late the other night again...though she did go to bed. ]

...As long as you keep trying, you can always beat the next level...that's right. I just beat a game that was giving me a little bite of trouble...so giving up isn't something anyone should do.

[ ...However, she seems to be in a vaguely off-topic sort of mood...? What's she even getting from his speech, here? ]

I hope your day is going well, too...

video;

[ardent]

[...holy crap, Nanami, you tried. At least, he thinks you tried. He's not sure what's going on, but he's...vaguely sure it constitutes trying you know what - ]

Ah, my day is going rather well, yes - I just returned to Goldenrod a short time ago, so it's good to be back.

[...]

And I guess it can be extended to games as well - perseverance and hard work is always rewarded in some way or another, after all.

[freshprints]

[Aaaaaaand then there's THIS asshole, because apparently it is Let's Try Really Hard To Act On Our Recent Character Development O'Clock and even though Kirigiri's been doing her best to avoid Ishimaru ever since his initial breakdown, more out of an attempt to maintain peace in the household than anything else, she might as well just...try. Thirty seconds of passing courtesy can't hurt (probably), and if worst comes to worst, she can always just ollie out again anyway, no harm no foul.

...Some harm slight foul, but you know what, whatever.

So she pauses as she comes down the stairs — she was probably on her way to the kitchen, all things considered — and watches Ishimaru play with the Eevees for a minute or two while she tries to decide how best to open communications.

...This should really not be as difficult a prospect as it apparently is.]

Welcome home, Ishimaru-kun.

[ardent]

[...Ohhhh wow. This isn't awkward at all.

Admittedly, it's not awkward for the reasons it probably should be awkward; it's just awkward in a general "so I haven't seen you in damn near two months and I am entirely okay with that" sort of way. But seeing her isn't a bad thing, either; he hesitates for a moment before replying, but at least he doesn't seem like he wants to ollie out immediately, which is likely a good thing.]

Ah, Kirigiri-kun - it's been some time, hasn't it?

[There's nothing pointed about it, though; just a statement. It's been a while.]

Have you been all right?

anonymous text

[impheired]

[He knows he shouldn't say anything. That he should just close the gear after listening to this and go on with his day, but Ishimaru's words hit very close to home and it's kind of hard to ignore something like that.]

Oh yeah? And how long does that take, you think? How much time has to pass, how much effort do you have to put in to proving you're not an irredeemable sack of shit before it becomes true?

text forever on this end

[ardent]

[...Well, that's...certainly something, isn't it. Hold on a second, he's never been particularly into doing the awkward-Skype thing; let him switch into text.]

There are a lot of factors involved, I think - it's not something with one definite answer for everyone. The way it's going to happen depends on what happened, and a lot of it has to do with how you feel about it yourself.

But I don't think anyone's irredeemable unless they choose to be.