Robby "major sensei issues" Keene (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
strongroots) wrote2023-07-11 06:52 pm
strongroots) wrote2023-07-11 06:52 pm
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[ No one would seriously be sad about something like this, right?? Right. So: ]
I'll let you know. But thanks, again.
[ you're da best, Tsuruno... he'll message you later!!! ]
I'll let you know. But thanks, again.
[ you're da best, Tsuruno... he'll message you later!!! ]
[ Well.. That does sound like Robby, doesn't it. Even when Daniel can already feel a small part of his mind start to spiral again at the thought of those questions, he can still recognize a Robbyism. Not that the boy won't give effort where it matters, but that last part is key here. In such a weird situation, Robby would be concerned with other things, would just dismiss them without worrying about any consequences.
But then the boy turns the question back around to him, and Daniel's actions honestly already betray a whole lot here. Just the way the man sighs after that question - making it very obvious that something is bothering him about those questions. Perhaps familiar signs, if Robby remembers them from a year ago, whenever Daniel seemed to be troubled about something.
(Even if an initial lack of students turned out to actually be the least of his problems, considering what was all to come after that.) ]
Yes, I remember. [ There's something vaguely reluctant in his voice, unsure whether he should share this with Robby. He wants to be honest with the boy - especially after everything - but.. opening up about stuff? Nuh-uh?
He figures maybe it's safe if he just sticks to the facts here. If he tries to keep his feelings out of it. Robby shouldn't have to deal with the mess that his pit of emotions still is after everything.
Daniel looks down at his plate, though he mostly seems to be poking at the pasta, rather than actually eating any of it for the moment. ]
It asked me about my kids getting injured.
[ And about what happens when people make him angry.
That'd feel even worse to bring up in front of Robby of all people. ]
But then the boy turns the question back around to him, and Daniel's actions honestly already betray a whole lot here. Just the way the man sighs after that question - making it very obvious that something is bothering him about those questions. Perhaps familiar signs, if Robby remembers them from a year ago, whenever Daniel seemed to be troubled about something.
(Even if an initial lack of students turned out to actually be the least of his problems, considering what was all to come after that.) ]
Yes, I remember. [ There's something vaguely reluctant in his voice, unsure whether he should share this with Robby. He wants to be honest with the boy - especially after everything - but.. opening up about stuff? Nuh-uh?
He figures maybe it's safe if he just sticks to the facts here. If he tries to keep his feelings out of it. Robby shouldn't have to deal with the mess that his pit of emotions still is after everything.
Daniel looks down at his plate, though he mostly seems to be poking at the pasta, rather than actually eating any of it for the moment. ]
It asked me about my kids getting injured.
[ And about what happens when people make him angry.
That'd feel even worse to bring up in front of Robby of all people. ]
[ Oh.
Oh.
There's no sudden realisation to something he was missing--but all the same, Robby realises how Mister LaRusso's questions probably had reason to sit with the man better than his own did. He doesn't remember his because they were too stupid to be worth remembering; Mister LaRusso remembers his because they tapped into something personal.
Robby swallows down the pasta in his mouth, drawing in his lips to lick them with his tongue. Looking over at the man, taking a moment to consider his words before he speaks. ]
Maybe it figured you were a dad, or old enough. Mine weren't like that--they were really random. [ And he feels he needs to share that, just to contrast clearer the differences between what they received.
But it might help to ask, ] You asked anyone else what they got?
[ Did anyone else get questions that touched close to home? Robby's never really asked. ...considering his selection. ]
Oh.
There's no sudden realisation to something he was missing--but all the same, Robby realises how Mister LaRusso's questions probably had reason to sit with the man better than his own did. He doesn't remember his because they were too stupid to be worth remembering; Mister LaRusso remembers his because they tapped into something personal.
Robby swallows down the pasta in his mouth, drawing in his lips to lick them with his tongue. Looking over at the man, taking a moment to consider his words before he speaks. ]
Maybe it figured you were a dad, or old enough. Mine weren't like that--they were really random. [ And he feels he needs to share that, just to contrast clearer the differences between what they received.
But it might help to ask, ] You asked anyone else what they got?
[ Did anyone else get questions that touched close to home? Robby's never really asked. ...considering his selection. ]
[ The term sensei has always been a loaded one for Daniel. After all, even if he never called mister Miyagi that, prefering to keep using the other's name, mister Miyagi had been his sensei. It elevated the idea of what a sensei is or what a sensei is supposed to do to such great heights in Daniel's mind. And yet he did try. He started his own dojo, got more students, and tried to be the kind of person that deserved that title.
.. and then failed spectacularly. Again, and again, and again.
He looks over at Robby while the other speaks, and keeps looking even after that, even as all those thoughts go through his mind. He has to look at the main product of Daniel's personal failures as a sensei, he has to acknowledge it.
Which also means acknowledging Robby's own feelings, right? What Robby wants. Even if there's a large part of Daniel that feels like he isn't qualified for this, a part that's only grown larger and larger with the Silver situation spiralling wildly out of hand-- it's Robby's decision, more than anyone else's.
(And it's not like Daniel doesn't want it, right? Sure, he doesn't feel like he deserves it, but that's another level entirely. If he's honest with himself, he knows he's selfish enough to want to strengthen his bond with Robby all over again, given the choice.)
So after a few moments of quiet staring, Daniel's lips finally curl up into a smile. It's faint, but.. it doesn't seem to be fake. Even as small as it is, it's real, and there's something touched in the man's gaze.
He doesn't use Robby's phone to reply this time. He just rests the device in his lap, using his hands not to text but to reach out. Not to Robby's knee this time, but instead a hand on his back, resting between his shoulderblades, warm and steady despite Daniel's rather haggard appearance.
And Daniel nods. ]
.. and then failed spectacularly. Again, and again, and again.
He looks over at Robby while the other speaks, and keeps looking even after that, even as all those thoughts go through his mind. He has to look at the main product of Daniel's personal failures as a sensei, he has to acknowledge it.
Which also means acknowledging Robby's own feelings, right? What Robby wants. Even if there's a large part of Daniel that feels like he isn't qualified for this, a part that's only grown larger and larger with the Silver situation spiralling wildly out of hand-- it's Robby's decision, more than anyone else's.
(And it's not like Daniel doesn't want it, right? Sure, he doesn't feel like he deserves it, but that's another level entirely. If he's honest with himself, he knows he's selfish enough to want to strengthen his bond with Robby all over again, given the choice.)
So after a few moments of quiet staring, Daniel's lips finally curl up into a smile. It's faint, but.. it doesn't seem to be fake. Even as small as it is, it's real, and there's something touched in the man's gaze.
He doesn't use Robby's phone to reply this time. He just rests the device in his lap, using his hands not to text but to reach out. Not to Robby's knee this time, but instead a hand on his back, resting between his shoulderblades, warm and steady despite Daniel's rather haggard appearance.
And Daniel nods. ]
[ It's, at the very least, not a question that comes with the expectation for their lives to fall back into the training that took place in their past--that this will bring Miyagi-do to this city, that they might even do anything seriously with karate. Maybe they will, maybe they won't; Robby isn't thinking any further than the memory of who Mister LaRusso used to be to him, as his sensei.
A different kind of sensei than Kreese or Silver had ever become, only concerned with technique and winning. So when Robby sees the smile, the warmth that seems to enter his gaze, Robby bumps their arms together, or what he can from where they both sit. After that nod, the hand that's on his back; a friendly, easy gesture given in return. Something that hasn't been there between them in so long.
It has Robby still smiling after, pinched onto his lips. They still have their current circumstances to deal with, but maybe for a moment, it's easy to forget about, to put side and not have be the main focus. A reprieve even from the severity of what they're going through, and Robby enjoys it, sense be damned.
It's just nice, to have Mister LaRusso accept him again--after everything. And though he won't say it himself, he plans to look after the older man too. But you know, he can't be as mushy about it as him.
Instead--though without any rush to leave this nice position of sitting next to Mister LaRusso and all--Robby turns to him, cocking his head. ]
You want me to get that water and everything now?
[ You know. That thing he was meant to be doing. ]
A different kind of sensei than Kreese or Silver had ever become, only concerned with technique and winning. So when Robby sees the smile, the warmth that seems to enter his gaze, Robby bumps their arms together, or what he can from where they both sit. After that nod, the hand that's on his back; a friendly, easy gesture given in return. Something that hasn't been there between them in so long.
It has Robby still smiling after, pinched onto his lips. They still have their current circumstances to deal with, but maybe for a moment, it's easy to forget about, to put side and not have be the main focus. A reprieve even from the severity of what they're going through, and Robby enjoys it, sense be damned.
It's just nice, to have Mister LaRusso accept him again--after everything. And though he won't say it himself, he plans to look after the older man too. But you know, he can't be as mushy about it as him.
Instead--though without any rush to leave this nice position of sitting next to Mister LaRusso and all--Robby turns to him, cocking his head. ]
You want me to get that water and everything now?
[ You know. That thing he was meant to be doing. ]
[ There's a slow nod, Daniel look up from his pasta again to actually look over at Robby when he speaks up again. ]
A girl told me she got questions about her mother. [ Though she didn't specify what exactly about her mom - so maybe they could have been more general, like Robby's.
Maybe he should've asked if she was close to her mom, but that felt like a little bit too much to ask from a random teenager you don't even know. ]
.. then again, Shigeo told me that he got questions about his spouse. [ There's a tug at Daniel's lips. Not quite a smile, since his thoughts are still all jumbled, but maybe something to show Robby that he understands the ridiculousness of this particular example. ] Which he clearly doesn't have.
[ You know, just before Robby gets weird ideas about how marriages work in Mob's world!! ]
Maybe it is all random.
[ And yet there's something extra to the man's voice as he says it. Clearly Daniel has a hard time fully believing in it, even as he's voicing this out loud. ]
A girl told me she got questions about her mother. [ Though she didn't specify what exactly about her mom - so maybe they could have been more general, like Robby's.
Maybe he should've asked if she was close to her mom, but that felt like a little bit too much to ask from a random teenager you don't even know. ]
.. then again, Shigeo told me that he got questions about his spouse. [ There's a tug at Daniel's lips. Not quite a smile, since his thoughts are still all jumbled, but maybe something to show Robby that he understands the ridiculousness of this particular example. ] Which he clearly doesn't have.
[ You know, just before Robby gets weird ideas about how marriages work in Mob's world!! ]
Maybe it is all random.
[ And yet there's something extra to the man's voice as he says it. Clearly Daniel has a hard time fully believing in it, even as he's voicing this out loud. ]
[ Robby can tell it isn't comforting to believe--that if it was, Mister LaRusso would already be settled on that, and not bringing up the topic over their pasta. Hearing Mob's (Shigeo-- should he call him Shigeo around Mister LaRusso?) question at least makes Robby figure there has to be some random element to it.
And his own. Though he really can't remember very well what the hell he got.
It takes Robby a second to decide if to leave the topic there, but, when a sensei is looking as pitiful as he is over there (even if he's trying with that smile): ]
They're safe. [ Robby gives a better, more reassuring smile from where he sits. ] I mean, the first people who showed here go a party thrown for them, we're dealing with spooky events left and right, and if they really wanted to threaten us, they would've done better than a picture of us in a bank.
[ It's weird, and not everyone was happy about their items, but still. ]
I don't think they're gonna bother going after our families when they have a hundred people to deal with here.
And his own. Though he really can't remember very well what the hell he got.
It takes Robby a second to decide if to leave the topic there, but, when a sensei is looking as pitiful as he is over there (even if he's trying with that smile): ]
They're safe. [ Robby gives a better, more reassuring smile from where he sits. ] I mean, the first people who showed here go a party thrown for them, we're dealing with spooky events left and right, and if they really wanted to threaten us, they would've done better than a picture of us in a bank.
[ It's weird, and not everyone was happy about their items, but still. ]
I don't think they're gonna bother going after our families when they have a hundred people to deal with here.
[ Yeah.
That thing that was supposed to happen.
Granted, Robby did mention something about the door not wanting to open - but maybe it was just stuck? Maybe Daniel could try to get it open this time. Not like he isn't used to doing some DIY, after all. Opening stuck doors is basically the same thing. And he knows that even though meeting Robby again and establishing this new trust between them has done wonders for his heart already, there's only so much it can do for Daniel's current hangover. He really should get something to drink, and some pills.
.. and he should probably lie back down, too. It'd be the smartest option. But even though Daniel rationally knows it's not like Robby will disappear from this world if he leaves this room, there's something about being allowed by the boy's side again that Daniel is reluctant to part with again so quickly.
So after nodding again, he actually moves to stand up again. It's a little wobbly at first once more, but then he seems to grow a bit more steady on his legs.
(Hey-- balance is his thing, okay?)
He doesn't even have to write that he's coming along onto the phone. His body language and actions betray it all already, and when Daniel slowly moves over to the door, it actually opens easily with just some minor pressure on the doorknob. Huh, Robby, seems like it wasn't such a problem after all..!
Not that Daniel comments on it. There's way more important things to be said, things he skipped over because he was too taken by the surprise of Robby to really think about anything else. So he turns to look at the boy, perhaps having to lean against the wall with his shoulder a little to steady himself, still kind of dizzy and nauseous.
Not too dizzy and nauseous to type, though. ]
How have you been here?
[ Another thing that's important to know, even if he couldn't get to it until now. ]
That thing that was supposed to happen.
Granted, Robby did mention something about the door not wanting to open - but maybe it was just stuck? Maybe Daniel could try to get it open this time. Not like he isn't used to doing some DIY, after all. Opening stuck doors is basically the same thing. And he knows that even though meeting Robby again and establishing this new trust between them has done wonders for his heart already, there's only so much it can do for Daniel's current hangover. He really should get something to drink, and some pills.
.. and he should probably lie back down, too. It'd be the smartest option. But even though Daniel rationally knows it's not like Robby will disappear from this world if he leaves this room, there's something about being allowed by the boy's side again that Daniel is reluctant to part with again so quickly.
So after nodding again, he actually moves to stand up again. It's a little wobbly at first once more, but then he seems to grow a bit more steady on his legs.
(Hey-- balance is his thing, okay?)
He doesn't even have to write that he's coming along onto the phone. His body language and actions betray it all already, and when Daniel slowly moves over to the door, it actually opens easily with just some minor pressure on the doorknob. Huh, Robby, seems like it wasn't such a problem after all..!
Not that Daniel comments on it. There's way more important things to be said, things he skipped over because he was too taken by the surprise of Robby to really think about anything else. So he turns to look at the boy, perhaps having to lean against the wall with his shoulder a little to steady himself, still kind of dizzy and nauseous.
Not too dizzy and nauseous to type, though. ]
How have you been here?
[ Another thing that's important to know, even if he couldn't get to it until now. ]
[ A sensei won't just let his student take care of him, will he?
Because look who's coming with him when he stands up? And look at the face Robby makes when he sees you getting up, Daniel. Because that's a face of a boy who isn't very pleased to see their drunken companion getting out of bed, considering the empty bottle he had been accompanied by at the grave. Call it being a learned form of worry warting over drunken adults, but he figures he won't complain right away.
He'll let him get up to have a drink with his painkillers, have a bite to eat, and Robby can shove him back to bed if he needs to.
First things first: the door.
...which is an entirely undramatic affair when the handle is tried, and--what the fuck, it dares to open? What the fuck. And yes, Robby is internally pissed about that, because do you know how long he was sitting around inside that room because it wouldn't open?
--whatever. Whatever, we're not getting stuck on the door.
He's going to suck on the inside of the cheek and have Thoughts about it instead, curse it a little more, seeing as he can't move with Mister LaRusso stopping and typing. That would be rude. ]
You should've stayed in bed.
[ ...that callout isn't rude, though. It's just The Truth. But alright, alright: ] I'm fine. [ ...well. ] As fine as anyone here can be.
[ Which can only lead Robby to that question that was bugging him before, a small frown coming onto his face. He nods at Mister LaRusso. ]
Did someone here do that to you?
[ Your face. He's talking about your face. ]
Because look who's coming with him when he stands up? And look at the face Robby makes when he sees you getting up, Daniel. Because that's a face of a boy who isn't very pleased to see their drunken companion getting out of bed, considering the empty bottle he had been accompanied by at the grave. Call it being a learned form of worry warting over drunken adults, but he figures he won't complain right away.
He'll let him get up to have a drink with his painkillers, have a bite to eat, and Robby can shove him back to bed if he needs to.
First things first: the door.
...which is an entirely undramatic affair when the handle is tried, and--what the fuck, it dares to open? What the fuck. And yes, Robby is internally pissed about that, because do you know how long he was sitting around inside that room because it wouldn't open?
--whatever. Whatever, we're not getting stuck on the door.
He's going to suck on the inside of the cheek and have Thoughts about it instead, curse it a little more, seeing as he can't move with Mister LaRusso stopping and typing. That would be rude. ]
You should've stayed in bed.
[ ...that callout isn't rude, though. It's just The Truth. But alright, alright: ] I'm fine. [ ...well. ] As fine as anyone here can be.
[ Which can only lead Robby to that question that was bugging him before, a small frown coming onto his face. He nods at Mister LaRusso. ]
Did someone here do that to you?
[ Your face. He's talking about your face. ]
[ The man recognizes a reassurance when he sees one. Something about it feels a little shameful, that Robby is the one reassuring him when it should be the other way around, when Daniel is the adult here, the sensei, even without karate involved.
But the shame doesn't come without a nice side to it too. Daniel has always thrived on the words of others, ever since he was young, and something about this feels vaguely familiar. Even if things shifted between the two of them, it's not entirely dissimilar to the effect Robby's smile had on him even a summer ago. When starting up the dojo seemed so hard, and felt like it came with more setbacks than steps ahead-- but something about seeing Robby's smile, a hopeful edge of that reflected in Robby's face even now, makes it feel so hard to give up. To slide back to his state from before he met the boy again here.
So even though Daniel isn't so sure if the truth behind those words, he feels touched by them all the same, making his smile a little bit wider as he actually starts eating again, chewing and swallowing pasta between sentences. ]
I guess all we can hope for is to find a way out of here soon, huh?
[ So they can go back and make sure their families are alright. Daniel knows he's not the only one worried - knows that Robby must at least have thought about his mom, maybe even about Johnny, if the two of them really made up. ]
Though over a month without any signs of what could be doing on here or being told why we're even here is a little concerning.
But the shame doesn't come without a nice side to it too. Daniel has always thrived on the words of others, ever since he was young, and something about this feels vaguely familiar. Even if things shifted between the two of them, it's not entirely dissimilar to the effect Robby's smile had on him even a summer ago. When starting up the dojo seemed so hard, and felt like it came with more setbacks than steps ahead-- but something about seeing Robby's smile, a hopeful edge of that reflected in Robby's face even now, makes it feel so hard to give up. To slide back to his state from before he met the boy again here.
So even though Daniel isn't so sure if the truth behind those words, he feels touched by them all the same, making his smile a little bit wider as he actually starts eating again, chewing and swallowing pasta between sentences. ]
I guess all we can hope for is to find a way out of here soon, huh?
[ So they can go back and make sure their families are alright. Daniel knows he's not the only one worried - knows that Robby must at least have thought about his mom, maybe even about Johnny, if the two of them really made up. ]
Though over a month without any signs of what could be doing on here or being told why we're even here is a little concerning.
Do they want more people? [ That's the only explanation Robby can think of, and if more of them are coming here each month, then that's at least the one consistent action being taken. Plus, the random buildings (or building?) opening up. ]
They put all this effort making a city in the first place. [ And what a city it is. Everything about it is unsettling, but what's maybe more unsettling is questioning how it functions. Crossing a line that seems nonsensical, and Robby hesitates for a second, waving his fork ever so slightly.
He looks over at Mister LaRusso. ]
...do you think magic's got something to do with it?
[ He'll cross it. ]
They put all this effort making a city in the first place. [ And what a city it is. Everything about it is unsettling, but what's maybe more unsettling is questioning how it functions. Crossing a line that seems nonsensical, and Robby hesitates for a second, waving his fork ever so slightly.
He looks over at Mister LaRusso. ]
...do you think magic's got something to do with it?
[ He'll cross it. ]
[ It's a callout Daniel will accept. You know, to listen to. Not to actually follow up on, since the man definitely is not making even the slightest effort to walk back over to the bed and lie down.
He can always do that later. He just-- He wants to spend a few more moments with Robby first. It feels too important to immediately go sleep again, no matter how much his head is pounding right now. It's hopefully nothing some hydratation and pills won't fix.
(A-And maybe a nap, but-- later, okay? Let a sensei have a moment with the boy he missed so much.)
Even if said boy is asking him one of the hardest possible questions. Daniel has had to open up a touch about what happened to the doctors here, since they needed to know what was wrong with him, but he's been so careful to keep any details about what happened hidden, not wanting to think or talk about them.
But he doesn't want to let Robby hanging either.
It makes Daniel suck in a deep breath, pushing his shoulder off the wall to instead support himself with one hand leaning against it, so he can start to move a little. Thankfully all the apartments are similar enough that he's got a good idea of where the kitchen is.
He is answering Robby though. Not verbally - or, you know, through the phone - but instead with a shake of his head.
He can't directly look at the boy as he shakes his head either. ]
He can always do that later. He just-- He wants to spend a few more moments with Robby first. It feels too important to immediately go sleep again, no matter how much his head is pounding right now. It's hopefully nothing some hydratation and pills won't fix.
(A-And maybe a nap, but-- later, okay? Let a sensei have a moment with the boy he missed so much.)
Even if said boy is asking him one of the hardest possible questions. Daniel has had to open up a touch about what happened to the doctors here, since they needed to know what was wrong with him, but he's been so careful to keep any details about what happened hidden, not wanting to think or talk about them.
But he doesn't want to let Robby hanging either.
It makes Daniel suck in a deep breath, pushing his shoulder off the wall to instead support himself with one hand leaning against it, so he can start to move a little. Thankfully all the apartments are similar enough that he's got a good idea of where the kitchen is.
He is answering Robby though. Not verbally - or, you know, through the phone - but instead with a shake of his head.
He can't directly look at the boy as he shakes his head either. ]
[ ...that's telling.
Granted, Robby doesn't exactly know what the answer tells, once it's given; a shake of the head that only comes once Mister LaRusso's walked through the door and made his way towards a kitchen (a pair of cups on the sink side turned over and washed out, a loaf of bread pushed by the wall, a very ordinary picture of a kitchen).
Shame, maybe. That's what Robby comes to, when he's met with a silence and nothing else, not even Mister LaRusso looking back at him.
He doesn't know what to immediately do with that, but with the man in the kitchen space and probably looking for that drink-- ] You get some water, I'll go get the painkillers.
[ Robby doesn't have time to exactly fold over this information, which is fairly apparent once he does. It was there, obviously: that if Mister LaRusso wasn't attacked in the city, then he was attacked back home. By who? Not a friend--Mister LaRusso would have waved a hand and been easier about saying no, right? Unless Robby's misinterpreted his current mood into something it's not.
He grabs the painkillers from the cupboard, opening up the packet while making his way back into the kitchen. Daniel's likely gotten his drink of water by now, right? And though it's not necessary, Robby's popped a couple-- no, three pills for the man.
You can't avoid looking at Robby if you want them, Daniel. A face that looks curious, but hesitant to ask the obvious follow-up.
What's been going on with you? ]
Granted, Robby doesn't exactly know what the answer tells, once it's given; a shake of the head that only comes once Mister LaRusso's walked through the door and made his way towards a kitchen (a pair of cups on the sink side turned over and washed out, a loaf of bread pushed by the wall, a very ordinary picture of a kitchen).
Shame, maybe. That's what Robby comes to, when he's met with a silence and nothing else, not even Mister LaRusso looking back at him.
He doesn't know what to immediately do with that, but with the man in the kitchen space and probably looking for that drink-- ] You get some water, I'll go get the painkillers.
[ Robby doesn't have time to exactly fold over this information, which is fairly apparent once he does. It was there, obviously: that if Mister LaRusso wasn't attacked in the city, then he was attacked back home. By who? Not a friend--Mister LaRusso would have waved a hand and been easier about saying no, right? Unless Robby's misinterpreted his current mood into something it's not.
He grabs the painkillers from the cupboard, opening up the packet while making his way back into the kitchen. Daniel's likely gotten his drink of water by now, right? And though it's not necessary, Robby's popped a couple-- no, three pills for the man.
You can't avoid looking at Robby if you want them, Daniel. A face that looks curious, but hesitant to ask the obvious follow-up.
What's been going on with you? ]
[ And what a line it is.
Though at least it's much less personal of a line, which makes it - ironically enough - a little easier to talk about. Sure, it's a lot more ridiculous to even think about, but at least Daniel doesn't have to think about his kids getting hurt while considering this.
He'd rather just come across as ridiculous, honestly. ]
I'm not sure.
[ On one hand, magic is just.. not supposed to be a thing.
On the other hand, it kind of feels like they're trapped in some sort of scenario that seems like the first phase of a horror movie come to life. ]
But.. some people here seem to have something that's like magic. [ Daniel gives Robby a half-apologetic smile, like he's trying to say 'I know this sounds dumb, but I don't know how else to think about it.' Surely Robby will understand, right. ] One of the doctors that helped me, a woman-- She just touched my head and my throat and it started hurting less after a few moments.
[ Look, Daniel may not have gone to college, let alone studied medicine, but he's pretty sure that's not the way it's supposed to work. Maybe when you've got an ache involving muscles, but not when your entire throat has been pulverized by someone. ]
Though at least it's much less personal of a line, which makes it - ironically enough - a little easier to talk about. Sure, it's a lot more ridiculous to even think about, but at least Daniel doesn't have to think about his kids getting hurt while considering this.
He'd rather just come across as ridiculous, honestly. ]
I'm not sure.
[ On one hand, magic is just.. not supposed to be a thing.
On the other hand, it kind of feels like they're trapped in some sort of scenario that seems like the first phase of a horror movie come to life. ]
But.. some people here seem to have something that's like magic. [ Daniel gives Robby a half-apologetic smile, like he's trying to say 'I know this sounds dumb, but I don't know how else to think about it.' Surely Robby will understand, right. ] One of the doctors that helped me, a woman-- She just touched my head and my throat and it started hurting less after a few moments.
[ Look, Daniel may not have gone to college, let alone studied medicine, but he's pretty sure that's not the way it's supposed to work. Maybe when you've got an ache involving muscles, but not when your entire throat has been pulverized by someone. ]
[ Honestly, what Mister LaRusso's describing sounds like what people would try to say about certain doctors or massage-people--about how their treatments help to cure ailments better than the mainstream medicines, that kind of thing.
Even Robby's caught by his suspicious nature to disbelieve Mister LaRusso's experience, putting aside the very reason they're talking about it in the first place. But then he remembers, eases on the judgment. Mister LaRusso wouldn't get it mixed up, right? ]
I thought it had to be people with a lot of money, [ he'll admit. ] Putting together a whole city and no one else is in it? But some of the stuff... I mean, if people are really from different worlds, that's--
[ Magic? Extraordinary? He's not like a certain geek who'd be into this kind of scenario, easily willing to divulge in the subject. Instead, he leaves the implication up in the air, continues on after a pause. ]
They could tell us already what they want.
[ Continuing, by ending on a 'this is really annoying and bullshit and slow' note. Because they're verging on going around in circles on the topic, and that's really the big problem presented. They don't know why this is happening.
And that's more rude than just kidnapping them. Like, really?? ]
Even Robby's caught by his suspicious nature to disbelieve Mister LaRusso's experience, putting aside the very reason they're talking about it in the first place. But then he remembers, eases on the judgment. Mister LaRusso wouldn't get it mixed up, right? ]
I thought it had to be people with a lot of money, [ he'll admit. ] Putting together a whole city and no one else is in it? But some of the stuff... I mean, if people are really from different worlds, that's--
[ Magic? Extraordinary? He's not like a certain geek who'd be into this kind of scenario, easily willing to divulge in the subject. Instead, he leaves the implication up in the air, continues on after a pause. ]
They could tell us already what they want.
[ Continuing, by ending on a 'this is really annoying and bullshit and slow' note. Because they're verging on going around in circles on the topic, and that's really the big problem presented. They don't know why this is happening.
And that's more rude than just kidnapping them. Like, really?? ]
[ He was honestly kind of hoping that his previous answer - even if it was ultimately just a shake of his head - would have been enough for Robby. A foolish assumption on Daniel's part, honestly, because when has any teenager ever been satisfied with a slight answer like that, that actually answers nothing in the long run?
Let alone a teenager that's invested in your wellbeing.
(A concept that may not have entirely been processed by Daniel's brain just yet, even though Robby took all the trouble of dragging him back to the apartment after finding him out there drunk in the first place.)
So Daniel stands there, glass of water in hand, moving to take the pills from Robby..
.. and then coming across that expression.
It says something about the boy's power over Daniel that it makes the man freeze up for a moment, just staring at those eyes. They've done so much to him in the past already. Given him hope during the early days of the dojo, shot bullets through his heart after Robby joined Cobra Kai - and now they still have that same power, rendering Daniel fully unable to shrug off the question in those eyes, even if he'd want to.
He ducks his head, popping the pills into his mouth one by one before washing them down with water. Swallowing them, chasing it with another mouthful of water, breathing in and out.
Daniel puts the glass back onto the counter, then takes a step back so he can lean his body against said counter as well, still unsteady on his feet. But he does take the phone back out of the pocket he dropped it into, answering rather than avoiding. ]
I tried to stop Cobra Kai.
[ He ponders leaving it at that. It's not like it isn't the full answer when it comes down to it, like the implications in that statement don't do a whole lot of work for him.
Daniel looks back at Robby, Daniel's own gaze slightly faltering, and decides he has to go on, at least a little bit. ]
I shut down the dojo so I could work on that with a friend I invited over from Okinawa. We wanted to stop Cobra Kai's expansion by exposing Silver for who he really is.
Let alone a teenager that's invested in your wellbeing.
(A concept that may not have entirely been processed by Daniel's brain just yet, even though Robby took all the trouble of dragging him back to the apartment after finding him out there drunk in the first place.)
So Daniel stands there, glass of water in hand, moving to take the pills from Robby..
.. and then coming across that expression.
It says something about the boy's power over Daniel that it makes the man freeze up for a moment, just staring at those eyes. They've done so much to him in the past already. Given him hope during the early days of the dojo, shot bullets through his heart after Robby joined Cobra Kai - and now they still have that same power, rendering Daniel fully unable to shrug off the question in those eyes, even if he'd want to.
He ducks his head, popping the pills into his mouth one by one before washing them down with water. Swallowing them, chasing it with another mouthful of water, breathing in and out.
Daniel puts the glass back onto the counter, then takes a step back so he can lean his body against said counter as well, still unsteady on his feet. But he does take the phone back out of the pocket he dropped it into, answering rather than avoiding. ]
I tried to stop Cobra Kai.
[ He ponders leaving it at that. It's not like it isn't the full answer when it comes down to it, like the implications in that statement don't do a whole lot of work for him.
Daniel looks back at Robby, Daniel's own gaze slightly faltering, and decides he has to go on, at least a little bit. ]
I shut down the dojo so I could work on that with a friend I invited over from Okinawa. We wanted to stop Cobra Kai's expansion by exposing Silver for who he really is.
[ I tried to stop Cobra Kai. An effort Mister LaRusso's been working at since...forever, really, if in varying forms. Dismantling its credibility, while Robby--he helped to cushion it. He realises that fact when he hears the phone say it, and Robby, to his credit, only looks away in a blink, returning his sight forward on Mister LaRusso and his texting.
Because trying to stop Cobra Kai can mean a lot of things, a direct confrontation--with Silver, Robby suspects. He almost asks, but he sees fingers moving and decides to wait.
Instead, he looks slightly confused, but more concerned, even when his assumption appears to have been in the right direction. ]
So...what did you do? Confront him directly?
[ Get his face smashed in for it? ]
Because trying to stop Cobra Kai can mean a lot of things, a direct confrontation--with Silver, Robby suspects. He almost asks, but he sees fingers moving and decides to wait.
Instead, he looks slightly confused, but more concerned, even when his assumption appears to have been in the right direction. ]
So...what did you do? Confront him directly?
[ Get his face smashed in for it? ]
[ Thank you for not dismissing an old man's opinion, Robby. It's something Daniel actively realises too - just how insane the things he's saying here sound. If it wasn't for his own experiences, he wouldn't believe it either. But somewhere between the people who plainly seem to come from different times and don't even know what cars are and his odd healing experience..
There has to be something more going on here, even if he's not sure how or what.
Or why. Like the point Robby is addressing here. ]
How long has it been for you, Robby? [ Daniel only now realised he never asked - instead just assumed Robby had been here just as long as him, that they only missed each other for that amount of time somehow. ] A little over a month, right?
[ He'll wait for a moment for the answer, but it also seems to be a thoughtful pause, the man's eyebrows knitting together as he admits to his thoughts. ]
If they had a purpose they wanted to share with us, surely they would already have told us in that amount of time, right?
[ It's a bit of a pessimistic thought, and Daniel looks appropriate guilty to say it, never wanting to drag down a kid's spirit.
(Though, let's be real - Robby is a lot more cynical than him in some ways to begin with, even if Daniel has such a rose-coloured view of the boy.) ]
There has to be something more going on here, even if he's not sure how or what.
Or why. Like the point Robby is addressing here. ]
How long has it been for you, Robby? [ Daniel only now realised he never asked - instead just assumed Robby had been here just as long as him, that they only missed each other for that amount of time somehow. ] A little over a month, right?
[ He'll wait for a moment for the answer, but it also seems to be a thoughtful pause, the man's eyebrows knitting together as he admits to his thoughts. ]
If they had a purpose they wanted to share with us, surely they would already have told us in that amount of time, right?
[ It's a bit of a pessimistic thought, and Daniel looks appropriate guilty to say it, never wanting to drag down a kid's spirit.
(Though, let's be real - Robby is a lot more cynical than him in some ways to begin with, even if Daniel has such a rose-coloured view of the boy.) ]
[ The man stops typing for long enough to listen to what Robby is saying, looking up from the phone and over at the boy as the words leave Robby's mouth.
The answer to the question is a rather small shake of Daniel's head. Then some hesitation - (how much should he share with Robby, how much does he even want to say here?), then more typing. ]
Silver caught on to what I was doing. He cornered me and took me by surprise when I was alone. I tried fighting back, but he was too strong.
[ It's leaving out a lot. Mostly the emotional component of it all, the fact that Silver had already pretty much broken his spirit before the fight even happened.
But that feels like too much to share. He doesn't want the heavy burden on his own shoulders to become Robby's - especially not if they're going to be stuck here in this city. He wants to protect the boy from the nastiness of everything back home, even this far away from it.
So Daniel doesn't write more than that. Instead his gaze moves up, looking over at the boy, giving him a little apologetic gaze - even though it's hard to tell what the apology is for. Maybe for being in this state in the first place, when Daniel definitely wants to present other, better sides of himself to a boy who means so much to him.
Especially right after reuniting again after so long. ]
The answer to the question is a rather small shake of Daniel's head. Then some hesitation - (how much should he share with Robby, how much does he even want to say here?), then more typing. ]
Silver caught on to what I was doing. He cornered me and took me by surprise when I was alone. I tried fighting back, but he was too strong.
[ It's leaving out a lot. Mostly the emotional component of it all, the fact that Silver had already pretty much broken his spirit before the fight even happened.
But that feels like too much to share. He doesn't want the heavy burden on his own shoulders to become Robby's - especially not if they're going to be stuck here in this city. He wants to protect the boy from the nastiness of everything back home, even this far away from it.
So Daniel doesn't write more than that. Instead his gaze moves up, looking over at the boy, giving him a little apologetic gaze - even though it's hard to tell what the apology is for. Maybe for being in this state in the first place, when Daniel definitely wants to present other, better sides of himself to a boy who means so much to him.
Especially right after reuniting again after so long. ]
[ A little over a month. Robby nods with that question since we both knew what would be the answer, a small 'yeah' to accompany it. But it's true that Mister LaRusso's conclusion doesn't really ruin Robby's spirits, since even with that said: ]
This's been going on going three months now. They're not gonna say 'til they're ready. If it's a test, they don't wanna botch the results that easy.
[ Don't tell people something is a test if you want their natural reaction--even if some of them are making choices believing this is all a test, or that they're being watched. Robby can understand that, even if he's uselessly griping.
He pokes at the pasta with his fork, not in a disinterested manner, but distracted before he figures to share: ] Really, the problem isn't them not talking... it's not knowing how to get out. People can do magic, but they're saying it's not as strong as it should be. And this place can make us forget things, or turn us around?
[ ...but now Robby feels bad, sharing that. He looks down at his pasta before stabbing into some of it, looking back over at Mister LaRusso sheepishly. ]
Bummer topic.
[ Sorry, sensei. ]
This's been going on going three months now. They're not gonna say 'til they're ready. If it's a test, they don't wanna botch the results that easy.
[ Don't tell people something is a test if you want their natural reaction--even if some of them are making choices believing this is all a test, or that they're being watched. Robby can understand that, even if he's uselessly griping.
He pokes at the pasta with his fork, not in a disinterested manner, but distracted before he figures to share: ] Really, the problem isn't them not talking... it's not knowing how to get out. People can do magic, but they're saying it's not as strong as it should be. And this place can make us forget things, or turn us around?
[ ...but now Robby feels bad, sharing that. He looks down at his pasta before stabbing into some of it, looking back over at Mister LaRusso sheepishly. ]
Bummer topic.
[ Sorry, sensei. ]
[ There's no reason for Robby to doubt the answer. Mister LaRusso continuing to go after Cobra Kai -- it was inevitable, wasn't it? Cobra Kai didn't stop being dangerous after one tournament, a bad influence that even Robby was aware of while in the dojo. He just didn't care. He told himself he didn't care.
(He can be a good liar to himself.)
His mouth tugs as he stands with the information, not sure what exactly he feels, other than...bad. What is there to say? Does he ask what exactly Mister LaRusso and his friend was doing? When the details don't seem....particularly important, other than the goal. Going up against a man like Silver.
Mister LaRusso was wealthy, but Silver was millionaire wealthy. ]
...My dad took the bet seriously. I figured you did too.
[ There's no judgment in that remark; only, an acknowledgement that Robby knows who's been missing in this takedown of Cobra Kai, when Mister LaRusso and his dad seemed to have been working together against them. His dad never talked deeply his feelings, and Robby doesn't know what he really thought about it--he just seemed to want to put it all behind him, focus on their relationship, and his life with Miss Diaz (...and Miguel).
He's quiet, but then asks, ] Did you and him talk about it?
[ Going up against Cobra Kai together? ]
(He can be a good liar to himself.)
His mouth tugs as he stands with the information, not sure what exactly he feels, other than...bad. What is there to say? Does he ask what exactly Mister LaRusso and his friend was doing? When the details don't seem....particularly important, other than the goal. Going up against a man like Silver.
Mister LaRusso was wealthy, but Silver was millionaire wealthy. ]
...My dad took the bet seriously. I figured you did too.
[ There's no judgment in that remark; only, an acknowledgement that Robby knows who's been missing in this takedown of Cobra Kai, when Mister LaRusso and his dad seemed to have been working together against them. His dad never talked deeply his feelings, and Robby doesn't know what he really thought about it--he just seemed to want to put it all behind him, focus on their relationship, and his life with Miss Diaz (...and Miguel).
He's quiet, but then asks, ] Did you and him talk about it?
[ Going up against Cobra Kai together? ]
You should tell that guy on the network that this is a horse
Edited 2023-08-18 17:00 (UTC)
And now whenever someone talks about horse riding he’s gonna picture a really shitty drawn t-rex which is way more badass than a legit horse :)
has anyone ever told you you have a quirky sense of humor?
i'm pretty sure your dinosaur would look closer to a horse than anything i drew anyway
i'm pretty sure your dinosaur would look closer to a horse than anything i drew anyway
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