raisetheearth | Entry #A-3: "Ask" [Video] [Shepherd's Haven]

[It's getting easier to tell Ryuzaki and Lazarus apart; the latter looks significantly thinner and more unhealthy than the former, and instead of breaking into easy smirks, his face is placid and serious. The two share a Number, but little else.]

Regarding recent events, Saretha has given these aspects thought and is asking you to do the same. Please pay attention to what she has to say, whether or not you've missed these events in real time. It's all important.

I'm one of the people who was contacted by the informant from Thunder Corp, and I know of some others, but there's a question I'm very interested in at this time. I want to know if anyone was both contacted by this informant and approached by a representative from the company, and if there are any Numbered currently active on the Network who experienced neither of these things.

If you're not comfortable sharing this information on the Network, especially considering that I have a particularly destructive and untrustworthy doppelganger who can see even my private network messages and just took a job with someone I have a very bad feeling about, I can meet with you in person to discuss this regardless of your location, or speak with you on a private line. If you've agreed to help Thunder Corp, I'm not not here to judge harshly... at this point, I just want the data I've specified, and your answer one way or the other is something you're welcome to keep to yourself.

To reiterate: Were you contacted by Thunder Corp's rogue informant, or a recruiter? Were you contacted by both? Were you contacted by neither?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

No, it doesn't, that's just an insult! And neither does Sarah.

Look, my nickname is a joke on your name, you can't just pick any random old thing and say that's a nickname!

An insult? I think you'd have to be there to understand. And I didn't say that Sarah was a good nickname. It's very similar to "Lala" that way, actually.

A good nickname for you might be "Actress." Or "Starlet." That makes sense because that's actually your occupation.

I don't think there's any way I couldn't take something like that as an insult. Anyway, there's absolutely nothing wrong with my nickname! It's a pun, it's not like I just decided to start calling you John or whatever.

[OKAY BUT WAIT A SECOND HERE]

Hey, you can't do that! Nicknames are supposed to be my thing!

[Lazarus is literally the first person she's ever given a dumb nickname to.]

It's not really a pun... a pun would be like if I gave you the nickname "Karate Hoshimovie," as a play on both of your parents' professions.

That's actually really funny.

I... you... that's not--

[Well, it is pretty clever. She might even appreciate it. Except that he just slapped a nickname onto her invoking not only one but both her parents. The very same people she'd worked very hard to not live in their shadow, or merely be sponging off their names.

Could have been a better choice.]

Don't call me that!!

[He's pretty proud, to the point where he didn't expect her reaction at all. He's startled and feels bad.]

Oh... you have parent issues. I didn't know. Well... I do now but if I did before I would have gone with something else. It just fit because it had something to do with you, and the words sound like other words, and there's another layer of humor if you're bilingual, and so I just thought...

I'm really sorry about your parent issues.

Who said I have parent issues? I don't have any parent issues!

I mean, just because mom's so talented, and so beautiful and soooooo perfect and everybody wants to know what it's like to be the daughter of such a great actress! Oh, and of course, I can't even talk to her for five minutes without hearing about every tiny little mistake I did since the last time we talked! I mean, that really gets old fast! Whatever happened to "Hi, how was your day?"

And dad's no help either, with his dumb martial arts adventures? Do you know where he is right now? Me neither! But he's probably punching waterfalls and sleeping in trees in some gross forest!

[You did this, Lazarus. This is the world you created.]

Why should I have parent issues?!

OK. I've never tried this but I've seen it in action a lot of times, so I know how it works in theory. I'm going to try to help you.

Your mother's given you an inferiority complex, not because you lack talent but because someone else has already successfully forged the same path and attained intimidating success. You simultaneously admire her and find her inaccessible, leading you to lash out at her critical attempts to improve you that are granted weight because of her expertise in your shared field. Meanwhile, your absentee father pursues his own dreams without regard for the teenaged daughter or wife who might need him around, which you resent heavily. Whether or not he's doing any harm by being away, you don't know what it's like to have him around, so you can't really compare the two situations. It's highly likely that your mother also resents your father but she hides it and instead directs her frustration into picking apart your performances, and it's likely they haven't been intimate in a long time for more reasons than your father's adventures.

So... I mean the parent issues make sense.

Edited 2015-10-17 22:06 (UTC)

Hey, don't talk about my parents like that!

[What is even happening now?]

It wasn't my intention to sound like I was attacking them. I'm actually envious. My parents died two months apart when I was very young, and my uncle exploited me for years. If your mom and dad had wanted to adopt me I wouldn't have complained for a second.

...but I'm right, aren't I?

... Oh.

[Well, that... kinda took the wind out of her ranting sails a little, now she feels like more than a little bit of a heel.

... What a jerk this guy is.]

Hmf! [She still sounds a little annoyed, but the irritation in her voice sounds more like a bit of an act.] No, you're not, as a matter of fact. They just... get on my nerves a little sometimes.

[Conversational whiplash, thy name is Lazarus.]

I think that's normal for a teenager. Some fear and resentment of the people who control your life and what they might do to you if you're not perfect makes a lot of sense.

Entry #A-3: "Ask" [Video] [Shepherd's Haven]

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