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

[foolishjustice]

I know I can't dictate people's feelings. But doesn't a victim have the right to say he doesn't want to see the person responsible for his suffering treated with sympathy?

[makejapangreat]

I know. And I will for the rest of my life.

But that is not enough.

[foolishjustice]

If he says he wants to make things up to me, shouldn't he start with helping to undo the ways his behavior has negatively impacted my life?

[burninglight]

Yes. But you can't expect that decision to be made just at that. You're a victim of all he's done, and I respect that. But I can not simply turn away from someone seeking repentance no matter the reason. Even if repentance should be unreachable for them.

Masayoshi Shido is not the only person that has had their heart altered. I know better than most what comes with having one's distortions lifted.

[foolishjustice]

Not as far as I know. I don't have anything to do with his meals, but I know I'm not allergic to any foods.

[cyclicalconcept]

Of course, if he wants to make it up to you, that would be wonderful!

But forcing him to eat everyone's cooking gone wrong isn't undoing anything negative - it's just prolonging it, isn't it?

[This is like Homura, but with cooking. Cooking]

[makejapangreat]

[...? The... little girl knows? And has known? It's the most perplexing thing in the world to hear— yet he's not entirely disinclined to believe her. And those questions...

Only one word comes to mind.]

Horror. [His voice is slightly quieter, a little rough.]

IN-PERSON.....

[beguiledcard]

... Goro.

[ After this message, he went to find him!! And he's just leaning to rest his head on his shoulder. ]

Do you really think this is something she'd want? For you to spend your time just making someone else suffer...?

[makejapangreat]

[Haha, he can't say he wasn't expecting to be threatened...]

I know. And I understand.

username: Captain Undyne

[seafoamgreen]

[With a tone of baffled disgust:]

Fucking humans.

[Yeah, hi, guess who's from a species where love and compassion are literal biological necessities and is kind of disturbed at the blatant reminder that, while humans can and frequently do feel those things, they don't actively require them to not fucking die.]

[Shido has probably committed more crime in his average pre-Change-of-Heart month than her entire society has in the last couple thousand years. It's a bit of a culture shock.]

[foolishjustice]

[For once, there's a hint of something...almost conflicted in Goro's eyes. His response doesn't come as easily as before, and it's edged with something not quite hostility, not quite desperation.]

Then grovel. Spend the rest of your days begging me to acknowledge your significance.

[makejapangreat]

[Ah. That's ominous.]

I presume you mean in person?

[rhododendronhoney]

[She nods.] Alright, alright. I guess if you're wrong we just have to stab him with an epipen or something. [Her eyes light up a bit at the word "stab."]

[foolishjustice]

[He hasn't really gone far from where Akira left him, honestly. He's just on the bed, looking frustrated.]

...Do you know how I knew who my father was, when he had nothing to do with my life until I went to find him?

[rhododendronhoney]

[Another nod] You don't have any right to call him your son, you know? Half the people here have been better family to him than you'll ever be.

[1/2]

[cyclicalconcept]

The horror of knowing you've wronged people, and the despair that you can't take what you've done back.

[She quietly nods.]

I know about the worst of you, Shido-san. You might not be able to earn everyone's forgiveness because of what you caused. But because your heart's changed, I know you're also no longer that person who lost their way. So now, I'd like to eventually meet the best of you - the person you'll become on the path you're on now.

[She gives what she hopes is a reassuring smile.]

It's a lot harder than before. But, I've seen others go through what you're going through before. So I'll have confidence in you as well, if you're all right with that.

In fact, I just want to give you a small piece of advice.

[burninglight]

Preferably.

It's alright. I'm not going to hurt you.

[cyclicalconcept]

...if you go into the library and you find books by someone named Travis Tea, you might want to avoid them. The one I found isn't very good...

don't mind him just cutting in -

[founderinglight]

Goro. Enough. If you truly hate him for behaving the way he did for nothing but his own satisfaction, then do not behave like this for yours.

[foolishjustice]

Wouldn't it be productive to contribute to my efforts at learning one of the life skills the foster homes neglected to teach me?

[Not if you deliberately mess up even worse than normal, Goro...]

[foolishjustice]

Some allergies aren't even fatal. If it just makes him sick, we could easily leave him to sleep it off on his own.

[rhododendronhoney]

Well, I guess that's true. [But Mom Friend wants to stab Bad Dad somehow.] Not on the kitchen floor, of course. He'd get in everyone else's way.

[dragonmouth]

I can't say that I'm unfamiliar with how that goes, myself. You have my sympathies.

[foolishjustice]

['It seems appealing, when I think about it.' Haaaah...]

Then I at least ask you not speak of him around me.

[cyclicalconcept]

If you're really doing it to improve your skills, of course!

[She already knows where this is going.]

As long as you're not just burning everything. Besides, the first and best test taster of one's food is oneself, right? That way you both can try it out while figuring...things out.