savetheearth | [closed] let's pretend this is witty

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[closed] let's pretend this is witty

Who: Danny Fenton, Karl Aurion
When: 1/26 (Backdated)
Where: Danny's house
What: A teacher decides to make a house call.

[The last thing Karl expected to be doing on a Sunday morning was to be dropping by one of his student's home, yet, here he is, right outside casa de Fenton and rapidly approaching the front door. Maybe he, of all people, had no right to come talk to Danny, especially after the being modified at xmas thing. Even so, after reading the post about Proud's death last night, worry kept on nagging him to the point that making a house call felt necessary.

Danny's a kid. Dealing with the weight of having, even if accidentally, aiding in taking a life won't be easy. Adults have trouble with it, to say nothing about teenagers. Something that Karl's come to learn, too, is that speaking with someone about matters like this helps. A LOT. And not just someone coming by to say 'oh it's okay!', either. Yeah, that helps about as much as head-rushing the nearest brick wall.

No, what's necessary is an actual talk. No sugarcoating, no needless sympathy, no pity: just a real, honest talk. Maybe Danny won't be willing, hell Karl won't be surprised it it ends up being a one-sided conversation, but a few things need to be said. He owes the boy that much. With that in mind, he rings the doorbell.]

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[As soon as he came home yesterday from the disastrous meeting, he immediately holed himself up in his room, only coming down to eat when he got hungry before retreating again. He wasn't in the mood to talk to people, not after what happened. So it's certainly not Danny who answers the door, but his mother instead.

"Oh, Richard! It's so good to see you again--I didn't know you were coming! What's the occasion?" Her grin turns into a frown, though. "Is Danny having trouble in school?"]

[A small hello does manage to get said before the little bombardment of questions. Thankfully, answering questions about why he's here had been planned for.]

No, not at all. His grades have actually shown improvement and I wanted to give him a book to further help him understand a few concepts.

[True to that word, Karl holds up a book titled 'Chemistry and You: It's Easier Than It Looks'. The book actually does simplify a good chunk of the concepts even further than he does. Maybe it'll prove useful, maybe not. What matters is that it ought to serve as a good enough a reason for him to come inside and talk with Danny.]

[Maddie claps her hands together in delight. "Oh, that's wonderful! Here, come on in! I'll get him down right now. He's been staying in his room a lot lately, you know how teenagers are." Once Karl's in, she closes the door behind him and then heads up the stairs and disappears out of sight down the hallway.

He can still hear what's going on, though--Maddie knocking on his door and saying "Danny? Someone's here to see you!" The door opening and some unintelligible grumbling on Danny's part.

After some coaxing, Danny finally comes into view as he starts down the staircase, looking morose as ever. Not for long, though, because he seizes up once he sees his visitor.]

K--M-Mr. Locke?! What--what are you doing here?!

[Karl comes inside and waits near the entrance. Prying hadn't been intentional, but all that coaxing and how much of it is necessary gets overheard. Yup, the events of the other day have clearly taken their toll.

How out of it the kid is becomes clear as soon as he comes into view on the stairs. A frown comes upon getting a good look at him. Danny looks miserable, plain and simple.]

I brought you a book which could help you in my class. [There's a pause.] Something that happened the other day made me think you could use it.

[Danny receives a pointed look, one clearly saying that this isn't about the class at all.]

[Danny isn't okay with this. He doesn't want to see any network people right now, ESPECIALLY not this one. He feels like a massive disappointment after everything and he doesn't want Karl of all people to see it.

But he can't just kick the guy out of the house, not when his mom is right here looking at him.]

Uhhhhh...s-sure. [He looks away from Karl to his mother.] Hey, mom, I'm gonna go clear off the coaster desk, okay?

[As soon as his mother gives an affirmative "oh, that's fine, honey!" Danny motions for Karl to follow him as he turns and walks through the kitchen to a closed door. Danny opens it to reveal a room filled with small rollercoaster segments piled up all around, scattered on the floor and creeping up the walls in little mounds of machinery. Some pieces are even tied to the ceiling with ropes. To the side, there's a desk covered with nuts and bolts, screwdrivers and wrenches, all on top of some schematics. Tucked into the desk are two chairs, which Danny pulls out for the two of them.

As soon as that's done, though, Danny's hospitality runs out. He plops unceremoniously into one of the chairs and slumps. He gives Karl a look that would be expectant, if it weren't so tired.]

[Karl wordlessly follows Danny to what is most likely the most interesting room any house could have and continues to remain silent right up until his host plops down oh so gracefully in a chair. The action gains a frown, not one of disapproval but one of concern.

Nothing gets as he takes the opposing chair. Given the nature of this conversation, double checking no one's close enough to eavesdrop gains priority. A quick listen in reveals that their chat is good to go. Rather than beat around the bush or attempt pleasantries, Karl gets right down to it as soon as him bum touches that seat.]

What exactly happened last night?

[The tone of voice, though serious, lacks any harshness. His expression mirrors that. This isn't a scolding; no reason to be stern exists. For now.]

[It may not be a scolding, but Danny feels like it is. Or at least, it should be. He winces, despite Karl's calm tone.]

What do you mean, what exactly happened? It's already all up on the network. We got Proud to lure the snakes away from the house and destroy them, while I kept everyone intangible so that no one would get hurt, I didn't keep a tight enough grip on him and Proud died.

Okay? That's it. Nothing you probably haven't already seen.

[The words come out sounding harsher than he wanted them to. He's not angry or annoyed, honest! He looks down at his lap when he realizes his tone.]

Sorry.

[Not even a teeny hint of anger shows at the tone. Worry comes through loud and clear, but no anger.]

Don't be.

[Really. He gets that the last thing Danny wants right now is to chat with Mr. Semi-good cop about how a guy died. Giving the cop attitude in this situation can't be called anything but understandable.]

Had there been no other alternative but having Proud lure them away?

[He shifts his position in his seat and exhales sharply.]

...I. I don't know. I just don't... If the snakes didn't just kill everyone, they were going to blow up and kill everyone in the house anyway! Luring them away where they couldn't hurt people seemed like the only option! But, I don't...I don't know if we could've done something better.

[Suddenly his brows come together and he looks up at Karl again with a frown.]

Why are you even asking me this? It happened, there's nothing I can do about it now.

[No reply comes instantly. After eyeing Danny for a good, long moment (with sufficient blinking to prevent any accidental hypnotizing), Karl closes his eyes and finally speaks up.]

No, there isn't. You can't change the fact that you may have saved numerous lives through the actions you took.

[People often fail to see how much good an action did if even an ounce of bad happened as a result. Danny appears to be in that boat. Yes, one person died, but how many others didn't? As far as Karl is concerned, the kid did the best he could in a bad situation.]

[When Danny hears "no, there isn't," he expects a lecture. Not surprising. He wouldn't be the first to chew Danny out over this, and in a corner of his mind, he thinks he deserves it. So he gets comfy for a lecture that...ends up not being a lecture.]

Wait...what?

[He's not sure he heard that correctly--it didn't sound disapproving, but he's not entirely sure.]

[Karl opens his eyes and looks at Danny. Seriousness is plainly visible, but nothing akin to disapproval can be seen.]

Real life isn't like a movie or a fairytale. Bad things happen. People die, at times needlessly. [See: his family.] The best we can do is prevent as many causalities as realistically possible. One individual may be dead, and yes, the death may be tragic or may hinder us, but how many others could have died had you not done what you did?

[Maybe his words are blunt, no, they are blunt, but sometimes bluntness is necessary. It feels necessary now. Going off the surprise Danny displayed at what had been said, few others had opted to give similar replies. Maybe coming here had been a good idea, after all.]

[Danny knows that what Karl is saying is true--Proud's death was certainly a better alternative than dozens of other people all dying in the house. At the same time, though...]

But what if there was a better way to do it, one that would've saved everyone, including Proud?

Would you have been willing to risk taking the time to search for something that might not even exist?

[A very pointed question. It's a good question to consider, however. Sometimes there just isn't enough time to search for a fairytale ending, plain and simple.]

[He lets out a heavy sigh.]

No...I guess not.

[But still, that echo he got a few days earlier...

"You can't blame yourself for this. It's not your fault."
"No, but it is my responsibility."

Danny has no idea what it came from, but he knows that ever since he remembered it, he hasn't been able to get it out of his head. He can accept that maybe he wasn't at fault for Proud's death, but it doesn't change the fact that Danny's actions and involvement in the plan were what caused it.

Even if it's not his fault, it's still his responsibility. And that still feels shitty and terrifying.

(Danny, of course, is not terribly willing to divulge that many ~fee-fees~ with Karl, though. Or anyone else, for that matter.)]

[A small, approving nod comes at that. Danny realizing as much and accepting it is a good sign. Trying to save everyone always and then not being able to only leads to bad things.]

I'm not saying for you to not attempt to save everyone, nor am I saying that what happened isn't your fault.

[The details, the extreme details, weren't known to him. He wasn't present. Because of that, whether the blame rests on Danny or not can't really be determined.]

What I am saying is for you to not allow your guilt over what happened to consume you. Doing so not only belittles the lives that you saved but tarnishes the memory of the one you didn't.

Yeah...

Yeah, okay.

[He's back to staring down at his own pants. He sounds dismissive, and maybe he is, a little bit. It's hard to imagine not feeling terrible about what he did, and he's not sure he could just push that aside like it was nothing, which is what Karl seems to be suggesting.

So, as all teenagers are wont to do, Danny's just saying whatever he thinks will get him out of this conversation fastest so he can go back up to his room to deal with this on his own.

He appreciates the effort on Karl's part, but at this point he's not willing to talk much more about it and isn't in the mood for someone to tell him not to feel bad.]

[And Danny's being completely dismissive (something which gains a frown from Karl). Wonderful. Only not. Dismissive is bad. What's getting needs to be heard and not ignored. Question is how to get a teenager to listen?

Throw them completely off guard, that's how.

Best plan, yeah. The execution needs to be just right, but it's doable. One particular way might nicely tie back into Danny's own circumstances. It won't be too enjoyable to talk about, but might at least get that desired listening effect.

A sudden vibration coming from Karl's pocket cuts through the silence. Only after he takes out his phone and while looking at the text message does Karl begin speaking.]

Have I ever told you the story of how someone tried to expose the police corruption in Locke City a number of years ago?

[When Danny hears the vibration of Karl's phone, he silently thanks something for what is probably a reason for the man to leave.

He's not so lucky, though. When Karl starts talking again, he kind of wants to groan, but gets thrown for a loop when he actually pays attention and realizes what the question is.]

Uh--what?

[Throwing off the teenager? Successful. It seems to have caught Danny's attention sufficiently well, too. Even better. That what likely is due to not having paid attention rather than questioning Karl's comment, but he takes it as a chance to play dumb and just start the story which he KNOWS hasn't been shared before. He starts speaking right when he starts texting back.]

It happened a good number of years ago, I forget the exact number. The individual had been transferred in from another department into Locke City. At first, nothing seemed wrong to them. They did as they were told and even gained a promotion for their effort.

[Another vibration follows indicating another text just as Karl finishes replying to the first. This one gets a noticeable frown out of him.]

The more they did, however, the more apparent the corruption became until eventually they could not ignore what was going on right in front them. This mentality led them to try to expose all the wrongs, almost viewing themselves as a champion of justice who had to bring the truth to light no matter the cost. Their intent desire to expose everything lead to carelessness and this carelessness lead to their corrupt bosses finding out their plan.

[A pause follows, partially due to actually telling the story and partially due to the hope that Danny would ask what happened next as an indicator that he's paying attention. Texting makes watching people and determining their interest a tad difficult.]

[Danny still has no idea where this is going--or what the deal is with all of Karl's texts. He knows it's normal and they constantly happen even in class, even when he was possessing the guy, but up-close it's even more annoying. Especially when he's in the middle of saying something.

Seriously, Karl, just because it's the smartphone age doesn't mean you can just text in the middle of a conversation. #manners]

...And?

[Did Karl actually forget what he was saying while texting, oh my god.]

[Manners are for people who aren't dealing with teenagers, just saying. The 'and' is exactly the response Karl had hoped for. It doesn't seem like it since the phone still has all the man's attention. Rude, maybe, but the truth is that telling someone all this while looking them in the eye remains something far beyond Karl's capabilities. His voice stays surprisingly even upon continuing.]

And then, one day when they were out near the pier with their spouse and infant child, several men came with the intent to kill them. The officer was severely wounded; their family was not so fortunate. When the officer came to at the hospital, they were told how their meddling had resulted in those innocent lives being taken and that more of them would be should they attempt anything of the sort again.

[Best thing to have been told, really. Everything is YOUR fault, YOU got them killed and more will die because of YOU if you keep at this. The memory gets an audible sigh. Ah, and text messaging seems to be done for now. Soon as the phone gets shoved back into his pocket, Karl finally meets Danny's eyes.]

After this, the officer gave up. They stopped trying to expose the truth, stopped associating with friends and family to ensure their safety and essentially stopped living for well over a decade.

[Danny thinks this story sounds vaguely familiar. A cop in Locke City whose family was murdered? Mmmm...nope! He can't think of anyone who this could possibly be! Must be some coincidence.

He absorbs the information, looking more confused and absorbed in his thoughts by the second.]

...Why are you telling me all of this?

Because this individual blamed themselves for the death of their family just as you are blaming yourself for Proud's death. They chose a path that [pause] that did nothing and failed to honor the memory of the dead. They distanced themselves from everyone dear to them with the notion that it would be for the best while living in denial of how selfish such an action was.

[And the only reason the denial got realized was thanks to like 5 different people calling it selfish. It was NOT a fun experience and not something anyone should ever have to experience, especially not a good kid like Danny.]

Do not become like them, Danny. Do not let a single death blind you. You are far stronger a person than that.

[For now, Danny takes it to heart. He feels responsible and was kind of blaming himself for it, but at the very least this seems like a good cautionary tale on how not to blame yourself.]

I'm not going to! Jeez, no need to worry. [He crosses his arms and looks down.] I just don't like seeing people die in my arms like that.

[Though a bit loud of an answer, Karl finds it more than acceptable. Not dismissive and not a grunt: good. Very good. Maybe he doesn't have too worry anymore, at least not TOO much.]

I'm an adult; worrying about kids is in the job description.

[Poor attempt at joking. HE'S FUNNY. REALLY. His expression barely changing is just part of the hilariousness.]

But understandable. Witnessing death firsthand is an unpleasant experience, but it should not be the one factor which determines how you live your life.

[Danny doesn't quite catch the joke. He thinks Karl is just being a weird variety of serious, rather than being funny.]

It won't be. I'm...I'm going to try to be more careful from now on, though, because I don't want this to keep happening.

~~[That's what he thinks now, anyway, HAHAHAHA.]~~

[Bah, Danny, you just fail to understand good comedy. That plan gains an approving nod from Karl. Though not the best student, Danny is definitely a bright kid when it counts. Attempting to prevent a bad thing from happening again via being cautious? Yup, bright bright kid.]

Being careful is the only thing which can be done. Hope for the best while preparing for the worst.

[He takes a deep breath and nods lightly.]

Y-yeah... Yeah.

[But he's not quite sure how, exactly, to prepare for the worst, which is pretty ironic given how his parents have basically doomsday proofed their house and their lives.]

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[closed] let's pretend this is witty

shit, he doesn't even show up in this tag, i'm RPing all wrong

nah, danny's just too cool to show up in his own log

he's fashionably late

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