Calling the Old Man Out

[foolishjustice]

[Goro has barely been seen since getting back from the Fissure, only leaving his room briefly to eat a couple times a day, coffee in hand and looking half asleep. Now, though, he seems to finally be properly awake...at approximately 8PM.]

Good...erm, evening, I suppose. I’m sorry I’ve been so absent lately, that Fissure must have taken more out of me than I thought.

But, now that I’m recovered, there’s something important I need to tell everyone. The last batch of new arrivals included a man named Masayoshi Shido. He’s my father, and a truly despicable man, who has had numerous people killed for his own convenience or benefit. He even had my mother killed to cover up the scandal of my birth.

[Here he holds up a phone, showing a picture of Shido...with what looks like avocado and cheese smeared on his face and a shrimp up his nose, wearing the most tiredly Done expression as he reaches for the offending crustacean.]

I injured him in the forest in retaliation for the things he’s done to me, one of my boyfriends, and countless others, but don’t mistake him for someone who deserves your pity. He’s physically not much of a threat, but he is a skilled schemer and manipulator, and-

[ Which is the moment that the video will shake, and a very brief flash of a familiar face (spoiler: Akira’s) can be seen. Off-screen, he’s gently pressing a kiss to Goro’s cheek, whispering that he loves him. Don’t mind the view of a ceiling for a moment, guys - it’s a nice ceiling, at least?

… He’ll properly make it up to Goro, later, if he can? For now, though, he gently brushes the fingers of one hand through his boyfriend’s hair. Akira’s face can properly be seen, after he takes a quiet breath. He looks… well, how most would remember? Only with a bit more of a tiredness to it, maybe.

Though, that’s not taking away from how serious he looks as he speaks. ]

... and, while Goro is right about all of that, there is one more detail I feel should be taken into account. Shido isn’t a good person, but he’s well-aware of that now. He’s done unforgivable things, but his eyes were opened to all of it after his ass was kicked.

[ JUST SAYING… ]

Anyway, nobody has to worry about him. Besides, he knows if he tried anything, he’d have to answer to all of us from his world, and then some.

[ JUST SAYING... ]

[This is the point where Goro takes his tablet back, looking a bit huffy.]

It’s true, he isn’t likely to be a threat now. But he absolutely doesn’t deserve anyone’s kindness or sympathy.

Comments

[photoshooter]

[...]

just because you can doesnt mean you should have to. when he did that to your mom.....

how did you even manage to last all those years??

[photoshooter]

That still doesn't make it okay that he hurt YOU, dude! ( ≧Д≦)

[riderofcharlemagne]

[He's so proud of you.]

purrusu

[beguiledcard]

Thanks, but I'll be fine.

I took my anger out on him, already. I think he's beating himself up enough for the both of us.

[matchmakes]

Well, alright.

Still, I'll extend the same offer to you--whether you need distractions or a listening ear, I'm here for you.

[riderofcharlemagne]

More like a thick cloud of it.

[Ok Astolfo you met him for like 10 minutes calm down.]

TW: suicide mention

[foolishjustice]

Some things are impossible to repent, Caelum-san. It's not my place to give identities, but I'm not the only child he's robbed of a mother. And with both of us, he made it seem as if they'd taken their own lives as a result of the shame of being a single mother.

Un: konawa talimo (video)

[dragonmouth]

Understood.

[The small girl on the other end probably isn't someone Goro knows, but she wears an expression that suggests she knows this shit all too well as she blinks wearily.]

I have to say, the look does rather suit him.

[burninglight]

Because his heart was stolen, wasn't it?

[surprise, fuckers, he Knows]

Seeing and understanding what he's done without twisted desires veiling the actions. Whether it was by choice or not--no, especially if such work was put into altering his world, then is it not wrong to cast such a change aside regardless of its catalyst and ostracize him as further punishment?

I'm not saying you're wrong in feeling as you do. That would be insane of me to even think. You've reason to hate him, and I believe you're sincere in that deserved anger. But you shouldn't expect everyone to be willing to detest a man for a past he's likely grown to regret whether forcibly or not.

[founderinglight]

That is much the impression I had.

Quite aggravating when someone who does not have a concept of true isolation is telling you that they deserve it, honestly.

[foolishjustice]

Primarily by isolating my emotions from my behavior, and reminding myself that it was for the sake of getting to a position where I could punish him for what he'd done.

[So, absolutely healthy, right?]

cw: The Fratricides

[founderinglight]

Indeed they are. I killed my brother thirty-seven times.

But that does not mean that even the attempt to repent anyway should go unacknowledged.

...And I would think you'd know that I prefer just "Izunia" at this point.

[foolishjustice]

Maybe in a little while. I've been inside all week, so I think I need to get out and stretch my legs for a bit.

[photoshooter]

...that doesn't sound so great, dude.

private to prompto, goro, and kurama

[beguiledcard]

You're right, it's not.

But I did get to basically punch him right in a wound, and I made it clear to him that this is his one and only chance.

He has to sit in guilt over everything he's done. I think the fact that he does regret everything says something.

[matchmakes]

Then perhaps I ought to join you instead? I have been in the library all day...

[foolishjustice]

There comes a point where a person deserves whatever punishment comes to them. He saw himself as justified in killing anyone who was an inconvenience, and taking whatever he wanted. I don't even know how many women's lives he's ruined by leaving them to face the stigma applied to single parents. And he can't even claim he was unaware of the distorted nature of his viewpoint, he knew of his Palace and what it meant, and took active steps to defend it.

Probablecaws

[foolishjustice]

It does. I actually told him the same thing when I took the picture.

[beguiledcard]

Yeah... I bet it is.

In my case, I angry when people dwell on everything they did wrong, instead of putting work into making themselves better.

[foolishjustice]

I punched him twice when I met him in the forest, and it was very satisfying.

[photoshooter]

i

think that says something for him. and for making things right, or whatever.

but i don't really care about that. I barely know him and i don't know everything he did either or how different he is now. what I'm worried about is you guys having to deal with him all the time while he's here.

if you want to, that should be your choice. but you should also be safe from having to if you don't. this isn't fair, it shouldn't be on you to defend him or defend how you feel about him.

[foolishjustice]

Formality is something of a habit I'm still working on breaking.

I don't know the circumstances of what you did, but you don't seem like the sort who would kill people for no reason but personal benefit. Nor the type who would exploit people, utterly ruin their lives, for your own convenience.

[burninglight]

And would that defense not be an active result of the distortion itself?

Sometimes, people living in darkness refuse help because they're too far gone to think of what the alternative of a life like that might even be.

I agree that some people can be so unthinkably terrible that they deserve whatever they might have coming. But oftentimes, what one deserves and the hand they are dealt aren't the same.

[foolishjustice]

I can't say it was pleasant, no. But it got me through.

[foolishjustice]

I wouldn't mind that. I was planning on going for a run outside, if you'd like to meet me on the plain.

[Not by the cliff, though. He...doesn't think he can run with someone near a long drop, anymore.]