deernet | Video; UN: seeingtheworld

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Video; UN: seeingtheworld

[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?!

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[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.

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'.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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!

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.

Yeah, I know. I've seen what corruption does to people. And I've felt it. I know it's really bad.

[Considering what he did in the Sleeper Farm once corruption took hold...]

I mean, it's like how back home Alberto would look out for me, but that didn't mean I didn't have to try and keep us safe, too.

[As for the training...that did sound fun, and escape routes seemed to be just his style with how small and quick Luca could be.]

All right! Sounds fun!

Not all corruption. Rot comes within as much as it comes from without. Some people are just bad for personal gain, personal reason, or an imbalance.

[Power tended to be a big motivator. Protecting those one cared about another. Wanting for the sake of having. The list would go on and on of course. Good people making bad decisions for good intentions. Bad people making good decisions for the wrong reasons.]

Everyone contributes to their own safety, right? There's no excuse to not arming yourself with knowledge and technique, but it takes practice.

[He finally flowed back to his feet from where he had been crouched.]

I'll start picking routes of courses and places for us to practice in. Knowing your surroundings and picking the best opportunity to slip away or move around is something I believe you'd be very good at.

Oh. I...guess I only had experience with it as a response to how bad stuff here gets, like the sleeper farm. But I guess I should know people can be bad for personal gain. I mean, obviously I ran into that type back home, right?

[And he suspects the reason he hasn't had issues with that sort here is more because there's no reward for killing a sea monster here.]

Right! And that sounds great! It'll be like how back home I was taught to dart into a cave if I saw any boats!

Sleeper farm did sound like quite the unfortunate adventure. [Reaper had been in hiding enough that he hadn't actually gone there, but he expected to have spilled his share of blood like everyone else.] There are many reasons, so you just have to be on guard, alright?

[As much as he wanted to warn Luca, he also still wanted the kid to enjoy himself. No one needed a helicopter parental figure fluttering about hand wringing. Kids should learn to defend themselves with the right tools and know who to ask for help.]

Indeed it will. I'll put you through your paces. We can problem solve things together if you get stuck.

Yeah...it was. [He still remembers losing control there.] But hey, at least after this I'll be better at getting out of stuff like that, right?

[Sure, he's under no delusions that it won't still be difficult and traumatizing, but it'll still be better, right?]

That sounds great! What are we starting with?

You definitely will. I'll make certain you have the best opportunities to escape as much as possible.

[Luca was small and that sometimes came with certain advantages. Other times, it would be a detriment, but it was about shifting situations to one's advantage wherever possible.]

I figure I'll pick areas of town for us to have a run through, set up a course there.

Great!

And that sounds like fun. I can't wait to see what you come up with! It'll be like when I was doing that triathlon.

[Which one might think there was less dodging and danger in the triathlon, but they'd be wrong, because Luca was being chased by a guy with a harpoon through said triathlon.]

Something like that. We'll put you through the paces and change it up too.

[He'd heard the triathlon story before, so he knew Luca could take a guy with a weapon chasing him around. That just meant 'challenge accepted' to him.]

That sounds fun!

[Reaper's not wrong to interpret it that way. Luca would far rather practice running away from someone with a weapon who isn't actually trying to kill him so that way when someone is, he'll be ready for it.]

Let me know whenever you're ready to have me try it out!

We'll make it a game to start.

[And he would increase the difficulty as he assessed what Luca could do and what needed improvement. They would have many good lessons.]

Let me explore town and find some good spots for us to practice.

Right, okay! And then you can just send me a message on my Omni to let me know where you want me!

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Video; UN: seeingtheworld

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