PCs with Kano

[lionson]

SHITPOST COMING LATER

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Week 1, Monday

[lionson]

[Shiro is in the kitchen, waiting for some oatmeal to cook in the microwave. It doesn't matter what time of day it is, he's eating oatmeal.

He suspects nothing. Come at him, Kano.]

[suddenlybees]

[ Kano fills a condom with two liters of water and chucks it at the back of Shiro's head. ]

[lionson]

[KANO DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH WATER WOOL ABSORBS???

Which is to say, Shiro is getting absolutely drenched, and he's very uncomfortable now. And he definitely screamed when he got hit by that condom-water-balloon.]

[suddenlybees]

[ HE KNOWS AND IT WAS ON PURPOSE

However pissed off and vindictive he is, that doesn't stop him from bursting into laughter, missing his chance to flee for his life because he's too busy doubled over and not being able to breathe because his stomach hurts too much. ]

[lionson]

[Good because all bets are off the table. He is absolutely going to dive for Kano, aiming to either grab him or tackle him.]

[suddenlybees]

[ The old man moves surprisingly quick— nothing like when his own dad used to play superheroes and villains with them- and Kano's taken by surprise enough that he fails to escape, getting grabbed and subsequently tackled and pinned to the ground under Shiro's weight. ]

Ack— Gross! Stop! You can't kill me- you still need me!

[lionson]

I ain't gonna kill you.

[What he will do, though, is try to scoop Kano up and carry him like a sack of potatoes.]

Now, where was that river...

[suddenlybees]

Drowning is killing!!!

[ STOP

Kano is very easy to pick up, with how light he is and how he doesn't struggle like his words would suggest. ]

[lionson]

I'm not gonna drown you, kid. I'm just gonna dump you in the river. You can swim, yeah? You'll be fine.

[suddenlybees]

Can't swim! Nope! I'd sink like a sack of rocks!

[ What happened to keeping him around like a puppet? god, and now he's going to be thrown away; he can't let that happen either, so he clings onto Shiro's arm. Just try to throw him now, punk. ]

[lionson]

Well, let's find out then, huh?

[Kano can cling all he wants, Shiro will pry him off later.

Except when they get to the river, he sees the mermaids swimming just below the surface, and he stops.]

...

Eeeh, changed my mind. You escape the drink this time.

[suddenlybees]

[ What the FUCK are those? This does the opposite of encouraging Kano to let go, he is not letting go until they're a good fifty feet away. ]

Are those, like, real? Hey, what's the point of creating something like that?

1/2

[lionson]

They're probably just-

[lionson]

[...WAIT

WHAT.]

You can see them?

[suddenlybees]

Uh-

[ Yeah? Yeah. ]

Big ol' slimy things sloshing around down there? Oh, yeah.

[lionson]

...huh. That's unusual. You always been able to see stuff like this?

[suddenlybees]

[ UNUSUAL that is such an understatement. ]

Like, I dunno. I try to keep away from the slimy slidy things that slithering around in the dark, but probably? Yeah?

[ Just because he's never encountered one doesn't mean he's wasn't able to see them before, is how he's thinking about it, anyways. Like asking him if he's always been able to see platypuses or something. ]

Anyways, isn't that, like, besides the point? What're you so surprised about?

[lionson]

[He'll actually set Kano down on the ground before answering that question.]

In my world, only certain people can see things like that. For most people, they would never see a monster. They go on with their lives, oblivious to the danger around them.

Being able to see them, that's the mark of someone with a talent most don't have.

[suddenlybees]

[ "In my world" has Kano barely stopping himself from rolling his eyes. ]

That's just as well, isn't it? Let them be oblivious and carefree, livin' their happy lives. Good for them.

[ Is he bitter? yeah ]

Wouldn't call this, [ gesturing vaguely at the side of his head ] a talent, though. Ain't it just bad luck or whatever?

[lionson]

You could, I suppose. Or you could say "It's good luck, since if I can see something then I can do something about it." That's how I prefer to look at it.

[His voice is gentle as he says that, though. This is a conversation he's had many, many times, sometimes with small children much younger than Kano. It's familiar to him by now.]

[suddenlybees]

[ Do they scowl the way Kano scowls, do they scoff and look away? Because literally none of this is good luck- never has been- and up until now, it's only been him doing anything about it. What fortune, being forced to stand up on his own. ]

No need to tell me. I already know. What have you been doing about all this, huh?

[ Father Fujimoto of the red eyes. Kano never heard of anybody else squaring up against the snake. ]

[lionson]

Teaching kids like you how to deal with it all.

[He can scowl and look away all he wants, Shiro isn't going to demand respect or anything. Respect is better earned anyway.]

Trust me, I get it. I was six when I first realized what I was seeing and what it all meant. It's hard to deal with. But that's where having allies is nice. Especially if that ally is an older person who's dealt with this stuff for over 50 years.

[suddenlybees]

[ How do you deal with something that wants to kill you and your entire family? Kano ducks his head, focusing on Shiro's words even as he refuses to look him in the eye. Six years old is about how old he was too when this whole thing started, but it wasn't until years and years later until he understood anything.

Fifty years. Imagine having to deal with this for fifty years. ]

...How are we supposed to deal with it?

[lionson]

By living.

[What Shiro is talking about is a bit less of an immediate threat compared to Kano's problems, but it's no less of a life-altering situation. And he doesn't know they're dealing with different problems yet, so.]

You fight back, of course. Protect the weak, and those who don't know what's going on. But you also live, because living a good life is one of the best ways of fighting back.

And having a few allies isn't too bad either, you know. There's two kids here, both about your age, who are in the same boat as you and me. They might be good friends to have.

[suddenlybees]

[ Live, huh? Reminds him of that old promise he'd made to himself, when the world came crashing down and it felt like he had nothing left to live for— he'd gotten up off the floor out of spite back then, but... Live, in spite of it all. Make your own happiness. Protect what little he has left.

It's been a while since he'd thought back on what he's even doing with his life. ]

I dunno about making friends, but growing the gang might not be a bad idea, while we've been on a recruitment spree...