deernet | audio, un:yuuki

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audio, un:yuuki

[there is some ambient, tidal noise, intermittent dog-barking, and the occasional woosh on the speaker thanks to rogue gusts of wind. but other than that, this guy! he sounds a little winded himself, but no worse for wear.]

Uh--he-hey, folks. Those of you...super-good or into food storage? If you can get to the boardwalk, there's...a lot.

Let's see-- [there's some creaking and a CRACK. then a huff.] Tomatoes, onions...potatoes...onions...ahh--uoh! Scallions, too! That's lucky...

[a beat.]

...Sure hope nobody's allergic to onions, though...there's a ton...!

[anybody out n' about on Boardwalk is happy to action in as well!]

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[pizza place? Bettys? must've been something that existed before Manabu arrived, before things started getting...super fucky.]

Aa, mm. Alright. There anything we're missing for that?

Oh... tomatoes, cheese, dough. And anything else. Oh, some sort of meat? I don't know what kind.

[ He really doesn't know much about cooking at all. ]

Fritter, you found cheese!

[ He rushes over to the box she'd been snooping through, and pulls out a waxed wheel of cheese with little claw marks dug into it. ]

I think this will work. Well, no matter what, Mako will be able to use it. Oh, he could make cheese dumplings! Oh, boy...

[ He's making himself hungry, now, just thinking about it ]

What do you want to find, Manabu? If you could find anything on this ship, what would you want?

[Manabu doesn't realize the chatter's gotten him smiling small himself, nostalgic and...well, hungry. he returns to rummaging as Wu goes on, staggered only by realizing there was a question in there.]

Eh? Huh? Me-? [blinkblink.]

... [what would he want the next thing he unearths out of this crate to be, if it could be anything?]

...Udon...shrimp udon... [his stomach growls.

feebly:] Auh...but I don't think shrimp are native to this planet...!

Oh-- like lobster shrimp? I haven't had lobster shrimp in forever!

[ idk weird avatar animals exist, even in the ocean ]

Why don't you think they would be here? We are on the ocean! Maybe there are shrimp in there.

[ He knows nothing about fishing. Where are shrimp?? ]

[okay but Wu, the crabs here are out for human flesh.]

I guess I don't know for sure, huh. I mean, there's birds and stuff... [a beat.

he frowns, lifting his head from rummaging.]

...I can't say...I've seen any other animals around? I mean, living ones. Before they hit the dinner table. They got a place for that, right?

[ you make a fair point there, bud ]

That-- I-- [ Wu blinks and thinks about it, now. ]

Well... there are our omens. And we're squids. And I've eaten meat. And there are those monsters?

[ He blinks

gasps

looks aghast ]

Have we been eating monster meat?!

[startling:] N-no way! Right? I mean, that'd be tied right into corruption, right? [RIGHT???] And that's the thing everyone here avoids! There's no way they'd eat something corrupted, right?

I-- I don't know! I don't know what the meat is made of!

[ Oh boy, why isn't Mako here? He would know. Wu pulls out his Omni and shoots off a frantic text to Mako to ask him what the meat is made out of here ]

Are we getting corrupted by eating the meat?!

[more insistent:] Not a chance! It'd make no sense, because then all the people would be messed up all the time, you know?

[ Wu's phone dings, and he looks down at it:

I don't buy the market meat, just fish. And mushrooms.
Why?

Unhelpful, Mako. ]

Ugh, Mako hasn't even been cooking the meat! Maybe it is monster meat! I don't know, Manabu. Maybe eating it doesn't make you corrupt?

It definitely doesn't. [that's his reality and he's sticking to it.] It wouldn't make any sense, okay? Let's-- [he grimaces, turning and crouching back down beside the crate.] Let's just not think about it, okay? You'll just drive yourself crazy.

[...]

...And not because of the meat being corrupted. Which it's not!

No, no, no, not because of that!

[ Wu lets out a breath, happy to drop it. It's confusing and scary and he doesn't want to have to think about his food of all things. ]

You know, my Auntie had a food taster, to check her food for poison. I always thought it was excessive, but... [ She was murdered, in the end ] Not that I'm saying we should have someone try it! But if someone did try it, they could report back.

[ Oops, he didn't drop it. ]

[grimacing while rummaging:] People do try it all the time, though. The locals are always eating food! And corruption isn't a hundred percent, so...!

But we don't know which food they're eating! Manabu!

[ Wu leans back on one of the crates with a sigh, crossing his arms huffily ]

Why is everything hard here? Eating is hard, figuring out powers is hard, finding cute clothes is hard. Not that Deerington was much better! A lot of that food was cursed, but at least it was a known. Here, I have no idea what might kill me!

[honestly...? Wu's kvetching is something Manabu can feel in his own soul. so he lets it go on uncontested while he pulls some other jars out of the straw, laying them out at his side. radishes, apricots, apples...some green shit he can't identify...

he sighs.]

Aa, I know...but I mean--in a way...that's not surprising? [he shrugs, glancing over his shoulder.] That is, we're exploring a new land. A new planet. Uncharted. So it's not too surprising that there's a lot of unknowns.

I-- I guess! [ Stop making sense, Manabu!

He lets out a sigh, slumping further with a pronounced pout on his lips ]

Yeah, okay, we're exploring a new place, but I'd just gotten used to Deerington and all it's stuff! And before that? I had just gotten used to Republic City! I spent 18 years in Ba Sing Se, Manabu! 18 years! In the Upper Ring, even! I never left it, not once, until I went to university. Do you know what that's like? The same walls, the same people, a big, empty palace with people who would barely look at me, let alone talk to me, and now it's bam, bam, bam! New places, new people, and it's good-- really good-- but I'm so tired. I'm tired and I just want to know something, for once. I want to know the place I'm in and the people I'm with and I want to, to relax! And have a good time! And not worry about dying or you dying or Mako dying all the time.

[Manabu rummages as Wu goes on.

and on.

and...wait...stop rummaging. this is some heavier stuff than just worrying about nasty meat. Manabu frowns, turning partway and watching Wu with a frown and creased brow.

is it strange to admit he kind of hears a bit of his mother in those worries? she just wanted her family safe in one place, no disasters, no fear. Manabu can't say he blamed her, even though his wanderlust and desire to stand at his father's side was a bit too strong to heed her.

guilt knots and drops in his stomach like a rock, especially at that last bit, and he stays quiet for a long beat after that declaration, moved to say something before the quiet gets too violent.]

Wu, I...I didn't know things were...getting to you so bad like that. I-I'm sorry. [goddamn is he bad at this; this is why Wu's the one who does this, not him!]

No, it's-- you don't have to be sorry. I'm just tired of it, you know? I'm tired of everyone I love being in danger.

[ He sighs heavily, his shoulders sagging, and Fritter even abandons her cheese to skitter over to him. He reaches down to pick her up, cradling her to his chest. ]

It's fine. We'll make it! It's not like things were safer at home. Well, they were less random, at least.

[Magnet whines, pawing at Wu's shoes and bumping his leg with his side, weaving between his legs to try to impose some kind of comfort through sheer terrier brute force while shooting Manabu pointed, accusing looks in-between laps.

Manabu's eyes wince. yes, dog, he knows he should be doing better. don't gotta rub it in...!]

Well, I...I think that's why...the stuff you're up to...it's really important. You know? Otherwise...we'd all just be...sitting around worrying about it. Right?

I-- yes. I suppose so.

[ He tries a small smile, and crouches down to pet Magnet. Then he decides, why not? And drops to sit on the ground, with Fritter cuddled against him, so he can pet Magnet better. Who's a good boy, Magnet? ]

You really think that it helps?

I mean, yeah... [he shifts so he's sitting in the sand as opposed to crouching, back against the crate, criss-cross applesauce. Magnet climbs into Wu's lap, so now there's something of a fuzzy totem pole happening on Wu.]

I'd be pretty worse off if you weren't looking out for me, or...or giving me things to do, you know? [he hesitates, dipping his head.] Though I still...keep getting myself in a bad way anyway. I think...it'd be worse if you weren't helping out.

[ This is the ideal situation, really. Wu coos at both of them, petting each one with one hand ]

I-- Thank you, Manabu. For saying that. Really, it means a lot that you trust me with that. I know you had a tough time in Deerington, and this isn't much better.

[ A beat ]

I didn't know you knew I was giving you stuff to do on purpose.

[Manabu sheepishly ruffles at the back of his head.]

I mean, maybe...maybe not right away, but...as I got to see other people around, it was kind of clear, you know? There's loads of more capable people around to do stuff.

Well... yes. Do you mind? I can stop! I just, you're like Mako in a lot of ways, and you both like to be busy and to be able to do stuff for other people. So I thought, I thought it would help.

[that gets an owlish look out of Manabu. like Mako? really?]

I mean...if you didn't, I'd...kind of be a mess, wouldn't I?

[...]

More of one, I guess...

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dw stole this from me >:(

meat conspiracy

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