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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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[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...

You're not that much of a mess, Manabu! Well, you were in October. But that's over, now.

[ He looks down at the omens in his lap with a little frown. ]

Are you feeling less lonely?

[Magnet looks up with his beady little omen eyes.]

Aa...

[less lonely, huh. Manabu looks down at the frost-flecked sand.]

I think so. I mean-- I hope so. I better, because...I don't want that to happen again.

Me neither! If you ever start to feel like that again, know that I want to help. There are people who care about you, here, me included.

[ Wu pets over Magnet's little head ]

And Magnet, too, right? You care about Manabu.

[Magnet gives a little growl-bark in the affirmative, and Manabu sighs. humble pie never gets easier to chew, no matter how many servings he's got thrust his way.]

I think...I just gotta get it in my head for good. That this...this is my homeland now. Everyone's. We're all...natives now.

[which means they're all from the same place, born of the same circumstances here...even if they had lives far elsewhere.]

...I suppose we are, huh? That's a weird thing to think about.

[ Wu watches him for a moment, before asking softly: ]

What is it that you miss most, about home?

[Wu can likely glean sense of the knot of emotion that bundles up and tightens at the ask. his face colors as he fidgets, same as he always does whenever personal questions are targeted at him. same old, same old.]

M-my mom, I...I think. [look, don't ask a man to explain the love he has for his mother, okay! it's embarrassing!

he clears his throat, shifting on his knees to get up and start going through the crate.]

B-but she should be...okay. [even if he totally fulfilled her worries of being left alone and he's totally going to carry that weight forever and ever the end.] Better than having to put up with the nonsense here, anyway! Eh...eheh...

Definitely. I can see why you'd miss her, though! She sounds pretty great, from what you've said.

[ Wu almost wants to call him back, but Manabu does like having something to do, and Wu isn't going to take that from him right now. ]

I think what I miss the most... is knowing how the world worked. Even if it wasn't always great, I knew what the weather did, what the animals were like, the kinds of problems I'd have to deal with. Well, I sort of knew that one. Life does love to throw curveballs at you.

But I know that's not the same as missing someone. I can learn that here, but no one can replace your mom.

[Manabu hauls the last of the jars out of the crate while Wu talks, his stomach still an uncomfortable knot of feelings, his ears red.]

Having a way to know...what's coming for us...yeah. I get that. It'd be nice, but...I don't know how lucky we'll be with that.

[...]

I guess...if we last a full solar cycle and things repeat, we'll know...

I suppose so. A whole year.

[ He shudders. He's been, if not here, away from his world for nearly a year, and he's having trouble grappling with that. ]

Well, at least there are real people here. I bet they could tell us something, too! Not that anything beats experience.

[ He isn't going to push Manabu, letting the subject of his mom drop. He sort of knows what that feels like, in a way. Even if he wasn't close with his parents, knowing he would never see them again? That hurts. ]

Aa, yeah...

[he sighs, sifting through the straw, feeling nothing more to be grabbed, and straightens up, dusting his hands off.]

I'd have said it'd only help so much, since apparently we're special compared to the people here, but...

There's...other Sleepers here. Older ones.

Yeah, that... it's strange. In Deerington, I guess there were, too. The, you know. [ Wastes. No need to bring those memories back more than then need to ] But here, some of them are still just around!

[ He hesitates a moment, watching Manabu. ]

Do you like it? Being special.

Haa? I'm not-- [he grimaces, catching himself mid-thought as he glances over his shoulder.] I mean--it's not like...it doesn't really register that way, you know? [he straightens up, shaking straw off his fingers so he can rub at the back of his head.]

It's not like I ever think like that...not, not special. Just different?

I suppose we are all different. I guess, I was always special, you know? A Prince, even if my Auntie was awful, I was still raised to think I was so special, being born who I was.

[ He lets out a sigh, smiling down at the Omens still crowding on his lap ]

But it's kind of awful, to think that way. That you're better than someone because of how you're born. "Different" is better, isn't it?

[eh...?

Manabu watches Wu with an owlish look, not even distracted by the wiggly omen critters in Wu's lap. he doesn't really think about it so much - about how special others are, ranks and such be damned. it's always been about how they treated other people, treated him. but someone on those kinds of pedestals...it really is different, isn't it? and the only time Manabu really thought of others as special was seeing folks with unbelievable powers - the Makos, the Peter Parkers, the Vira-Lorrs...

he lets out a soft, drawn-out, thoughtful sound as he thinks about it - really thinks about it.]

I guess...thinking the opposite is just as bad, huh. Thinking you're...not much of anything by comparison...

That's true, too. I guess not thinking much of anything about yourself might be the best way to go.

[ He pets Magnet idly, eyes flicking out to the ocean around them ]

I don't know if I'll be very good at that.

Well, I guess that's okay, too... [...] I mean, you're a pretty important person to a lot of people, you know?

Well, yes. I run the Raccoon Room, and I hope that becomes important! But, it...

[ He thinks he gets what Manabu is saying and it makes his heart clench tight ]

Yes. And a lot of people here are important to me, too. Like you, I'm really glad that I met you, Manabu.

That isn't-- [what...he was talking about. but it seems Wu gets it? maybe? gosh, Manabu hopes so...he's really bad at this!

he sighs, rubbing at the back of his head.]

I mean--if you do feel like...like not saying as much. About being special, I mean... It just means that, that everyone else can say it for you. Right?

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