Video; UN: seeingtheworld

[schoolingfish]

[When the video comes up, it shows Reaper and Luca on the cold and frozen beach together. Whoever's filming them is standing back and very low to the ground, seeming almost like they're trying to stay out of sight. Luca is bundled up just in case, even though he's wearing Fern's sun pendant which keeps him warm, and is starting to do some stretches.]

You know...I know I've seen people on the network call you a monster before, but I think they're wrong. I think you're actually really nice. You're teaching me how to defend myself, and you helped me get around all those traps when people were hunting vilebloods, and when you lived in the house with us you cooked food for us every day!

[He shifts positions and goes into another warm up stretch.]

I think they're just scared because you look scary. Like how people are with sea monsters back ho--

[With one of the stretches, he turns his body enough to spot the individual broadcasting this.]

Camilla? What are you doing?!

Comments

[no_reload]

[With their Wraith fluttering around peeved about the wind and Camilla scuttling around, Reaper had concentrated more on showing and urging Luca to practice basic self-defense and how to get out of certain holds. The open beach made it easy to show but a bit more difficult to talk thanks to the wind. Thus he hadn't been paying much attention to their Omens over the task at hand.

It seemed to be done, and he had given Luca some homework to practice before their next sessions for more advanced pointers.

He crossed his arms over his chest when Luca flew into a sentimental warm talk of compliments, and he snorted from his nostrils. That was not the image he liked to put up after all, but he was tolerant of it because it was Luca and the kid was the pure cute kind anyway. This was the kind of kid his Aunties would have fawned over.

So he was tolerant up until Wraith flew to his shoulder and gave a classic annoying peacock call and definitely showed off. That tipped him off that something was up, and he looked sharply to Luca's little crab.]

She didn't just broadcast that to everyone...

[He looked sharply at Wraith who bobbed his head and seemed spitefully amused about the whole affair. He checked his Omni and groaned.]

I'm going to show your Omen scary...

[Private]

[imaglyphwitch]

Oh come on Reaper. It's sweet and you know it. If some people know about it, what will it hurt?

[Private]

[no_reload]

[Of course Luz had seen this. She would eat this nonsense up. She definitely was the 'friendship is magic' type from what he had gathered.]

It will hurt. It's already hurting. By associating with me and making such public statements, it could put you, Luca and everyone else at risk.

Re: [Private]

[imaglyphwitch]

[Her Pthumerian was Doorway,of COURSE she'd think that].

And who exactly would we be having to worry about?

[Private]

[no_reload]

[There was no escaping her honestly.]

If I crossed someone with the right inclinations, they could seek to destabilize me by hitting against those I protect.

Re: [Private]

[imaglyphwitch]

Right, but in that case they'd probably go after...Darth Maul, right?

And if anyone went after Luca, it wouldn't be just you they'd be fighting.

[Private]

[no_reload]

As if anyone would choose Maul over some kids. Harming children always brings vehement reactions.

If anyone harmed Luca, I would eviscerate them.

Re: [Private]

[imaglyphwitch]

Oh no, that would be the worst choice they'd ever make, of course. But it would be direct.

Ok, I wouldn't eviscerate them. But I would certainly make sure they never even breathed his air again.

[Private]

[no_reload]

It would immediately draw my attention, which might be the effect they may want. It will be a choice that they pay dearly for.

I assume you mean distance rather than murder.

Re: [Private]

[imaglyphwitch]

I figured that would be the case.

Of course I...ohh. Wow. I just realize how sinister that sounded. Yes, I definitely meant distance, more like a restraining order!

[Private]

[no_reload]

Yes, you should definitely leave the murder to me. You're a bit too young to be taking a life.

1/3

[imaglyphwitch]

Re: 2/3

[imaglyphwitch]

[schoolingfish]

I'm sure she didn't mean to!

[Camilla doesn't use words. What she does use are general feelings that she just projects, and right then she projects a strong sense that yes, she did mean to do exactly that. In a frustrated tone, Luca scolds her.]

Camilla, are you trying to make things worse? He's already not happy with you!

[Camilla, of course, absolutely does not care. She can turn to smoke at will, so knows she can handle anything thrown at her.]

I'm sorry Signore Reaper, I don't know what's gotten into her. She's usually better behaved than this!

[Camilla then projects a general sense of thinking all of this is cute.]

[no_reload]

[Reaper was one-hundred percent certain that Camilla had meant every ounce of what she had done. And this was exactly reason why crabs ended up on people's dinner tables or in cans.

Wraith was enjoying the show at his expense of course. It was the kind of situation that he carefully tried to avoid, so that it was happening to him was a fact his Omen was going to relish. It was oh so dramatic. The peacock fluttered from his shoulder when he growled and landed near the offending crab.]

Omens seem to have a mind of their own it seems. I think they enjoy tormenting us when we least expect it.

[He checked his Omni again and sighed heavily, letting the wind catch the sound and drag it away.]

It's done, and there's nothing to be done about it now. Perhaps she was doing your will even if you didn't realize it.

[schoolingfish]

Yeah...

[He's not sure if Camilla's really trying to torment him, but he's not really sure what she was thinking. She was usually pretty nice to Luca...but the last thing Reaper says makes him think maybe it was his fault, albeit unintentionally.]

Well...I know I keep thinking it's unfair that people act like you're scary when you're not...maybe she thought this would help?

[He certainly didn't mean for Camilla to interpret it like this, but it would make sense.]

[no_reload]

[Reaper turned his head to regard Luca for a long moment. Then he approached so he could ease into a crouch so that they were on similar eye level. So his eyes couldn't be seen thanks to his mask, but it was the thought that counted, right?]

Luca. I am scary, but not towards you. I've done many terrible things for many years, and I will no doubt go on to do more terrible things in future. It's who I am and what I'm capable of that people find scary.

[And they should. Months of good behaviour would never smooth out all of the other activities that he had done most would consider bad. Deerington had directed his violence in a certain direction, but if he wanted to, he could be so much worse.]

You should be careful who you trust. Many monsters wear human skins, and their motivations aren't always altruistic all the time. I don't want you tainted by the same brush that stains me.

[schoolingfish]

Oh. I guess that's why it doesn't bother you when people think you're scary?

[Because if Reaper actually did things to make people think he's scary, that might be different than just being a sea monster.]

I just figured it was more like me, where people were scared back home because I'm a sea monster, and some people here seem to be scared of the vileblood stuff.

[As for who he trusts, well...]

I know a lot of monsters are human. I've been nearly harpooned by them so many times back home. But I don't think being your friend would...um...make me 'tainted by the same brush that stains you'.

[no_reload]

It doesn't bother me. Being scary has advantages that I utilize.

[Reaper had to make himself scary to keep those that wanted to use or attach to him at bay. It hadn't worked too well since he had arrived in Trench by choice and decided to let his guard down so he could have a life here. Old habits were hard to let go when he was so used to requiring such a reputation to wield like a weapon.]

Nothing about you scares me, Luca. But some of us have done terrible things in the name of freedom, and some of us have done terrible things to right old wrongs.

[Those wrongs didn't matter anymore as they were present here in Trench, but he had set himself on a path in Deerington expecting to need such a reputation.]

I don't want people to question your sincerity or your kindness because you associate with me. There's a reason people around here say I'm not very nice.

[schoolingfish]

Really? Because back home I never noticed any advantages to being scary.

[It mostly just got him chased down and hunted in the streets and nearly killed.]

I know I don't scare you, but I've definitely had people scared of me before! Because of what I am, though. Not anything I said or did. Maybe that's why I don't get any of the 'scary advantages', because there's not much to back up the scary.

[And on some level, Luca suspects even the humans who claimed to be afraid of him knew he couldn't fight back.]

I wouldn't worry about that. I don't think anyone's going to think I'm bad just because I'm your friend.

[no_reload]

If you're scary enough, people don't feel safe enough to try to attack you.

[At that point, the threat of violence was enough. He didn't think that Luca could or would get to that point. Fear was an excellent motivator, but that wasn't a facet he wanted the young ones to experience.]

People fear what they don't understand, and that fear can be unreasonable. You know few consider you scary here, right?

[Luca seemed rather confident about that, and it was probably correct. Ah to be a kid again.]

No but they may be concerned for your well being for hanging around with me.

[schoolingfish]

I guess even though Ercole was saying everyone was frightened and disgusted by us, he didn't think we were that scary, because he was threatening us with a harpoon.

[It makes sense, though. The townsfolk are probably more afraid of Massimo than Luca and Alberto, and to be fair, Massimo is much bigger than both of them combined. When he showed up and defended them, though, no one but Ercole was willing to attack, even though Luca did hear some grumbling over that fact.]

I know people aren't scared of me here. It's kind of nice. And I get attacked way less because of it.

[As for his well being...]

Well, then we'll just have to prove them wrong when I keep hanging around you and they see I'm perfectly fine!

[no_reload]

Likely not. Some people are just cruel and mean, and they enjoy making others afraid of them.

[There were plenty of stories about monsters striking back, and he had spent a long time immersed in the worst that humanity could produce but also some of the best. Some people were just born bad; some people would always to good. Most were shades of gray that had the capability of both sides.]

You shouldn't be attacked here. If anyone does, you will be defended by many.

[Kid had that kind of draw. It wasn't even necessarily going to be Reaper. He knew the entire Disaster House would defend Luca vehemently.]

True. It won't change their perception of me, and I'm perfectly fine with that.

[schoolingfish]

Yeah. That was probably Ercole's real reason for coming after us.

And I know the people here won't attack me. Pretty much everyone I've met let me know that.

[And it's nice knowing he has so many people who have his back. Sure, there were people back home that would defend him. Alberto was at the top of that list, but he had his family and Massimo and Giulia. Here, though, it seems almost universal that everyone wants to keep him safe, even after knowing what he is.]

Still, the training is important for all the weird stuff and creatures in this place!

[no_reload]

Good. You knowing that you will be protected is the way it should be.

[There was a pause that also came with his hands tightening slightly on Luca's shoulders.]

But always have at the back of your mind that corruption and mind addling effects from our blood types seem to be in play. You must take steps to have an escape plan should one of us begin to suffer from such effects, okay? Your life is your responsibility as much as it is for those that protect you.

[Just look at Varian who was the most even tempered of the bunch, how a descent into corruption or madness or whatever it had been could happen to even the best of them. Maybe it was the old soldier in him, but he didn't want Luca to be attacked by a corrupted individual.]

You will train. I will teach you everything you need to know about self-defense and escape routes, alright? We'll make a game of it.