Our Powers | Video | Open

[badbutsadboy]

[The message is public. He has too many people to send it to that he doesn't want to have to filter or tag individually. He's clearly up on a roof somewhere, bundled for the weather.]

I've put it off for as long as I can. I gave the social worker a story about wanting some time with study outside of school before interacting with my peers, due to an unfamiliarity with Earth, and they had me do a school online? For a little while.

But I've run out of time. I've run out of excuses and they want me to go to the meta school, but they said the teachers are Guild-Affiliated.

I'm not going to a school that'd encourage their students to join the guilds.

And I'm not staying with a fake family that hasn't earned my trust.

I'm only putting this message up so people know not to look for me. I have a plan and I've prepared for it. I'll be in touch. And reach out if I need help.

Comments

[badbutsadboy]

I know about it.

If you don't mind, I might shower and do laundry there.

[But not stay.]

[Jason has been very kind. Jason also doesn't seem that much older. But he's old enough to not slot into "peer" in Hunter's head. He owns a bar, even.]

[It's hard not knowing how to prove someone is trustworthy or not. Back home, he'd had proof about a few older people.]

[robintohood]

That's fine. You're free to drop by there anytime. I got first aid supplies too. Hopefully you don't get hurt but if you do, you got a place for quick emergencies at least.

[Jason's trying to be careful and not overpromise anything. If there's a medical emergency, it might be difficult to take him to a clinic or a hospital that won't get a guild's attention. It's hard to know which ones will really respect patient confidentiality]

[badbutsadboy]

Thank you for just trying to help and not trying to talk me out of this.

[It wouldn't work and he'd be more likely to avoid Jason's help if he needs it.]

[robintohood]

You're welcome. I've run away and lived in the streets before so I get not trusting most people. Those times were the hardest in my life but I felt it was better than what the system could give me. I just want you to be okay.

[His heart aches from seeing other homeless kids and knowing full well why they're on the streets. Traumas and hardships that were beyond their control can be like bombs onto a person's life]

[badbutsadboy]

I just can't trust the guilds.

They're too much like the covens that Belos put in place.

I made the mistake of trusting a system like that once. [He lifts his arm and holds up his wrist with the coven mark, lowers it again.]

I can't help but worry that this is somehow someone's way of trying to suck the life out of me a second time.

[robintohood]

[There's a brief twitch of anger in Jason when he sees the mark and Hunter talks about what Belos did. He keeps his facial expression calm though]

Yeah, I get it. Why risk yourself being in that position again? I just want you to be safe.

[badbutsadboy]

[He squirms. Slightly uncomfortably. But it's like having an ill-fitting shirt you might eventually grow into.]

I'm still getting used to that.

[robintohood]

[Jason remains calm and patient]

Getting used to what?

[badbutsadboy]

People wanting me to be safe.

[Belos had not cared. At all. Even before he found out the truth, how disposable he was, Belos had always been fine with threats like witch's duels and him being put on the Knee and having to survive his way down.]

[He'd been one of the last to get there, leaves and pine needles stuffed in his clothes, mildly frostbitten, dehydrated because of the effort of thawing snow, shivering, hungry, and injured. But alive.]

[Belos hadn't been proud. He'd criticized him for taking so long and how everyone expected more of him for being his nephew.]

The only people that cared were the scouts and it was only because they were afraid of what Belos would do to them if something happened to his "nephew" on their watch.

[robintohood]

[Jason just barely stops himself from wincing at that response and what it means about Hunter's life before he got to this version of Earth]

It's different here. You got people who care about you because of you, not because of your status.

It's great you got friends here like Dylan.

[badbutsadboy]

I know. And it helps a lot with missing the friends I have back home who care, too.

[Although at this point, he's now been friends with his friends here longer.]

[He blushes when he thinks about Dylan.]

Dylan's definitely a good friend. He gave me a gift for this...Crustmas? Holiday. And he didn't even care that I hadn't known to get a gift for him.

[robintohood]

Yeah. Christmas is meant to be a holiday to do something kind for someone, regardless if you get something in return. I got something for you too. You can set up when and where to meet.

[badbutsadboy]

Why did no one warn me about this?!

I didn't get anything for anyone.

[He's failing at friendship so hard.]

[robintohood]

That's fine. I doubt anyone's gonna begrudge you for it, especially when you don't have a holiday like that back in your world and didn't know about this one.

You're technically not obligated to do anything.