[Gokudera wouldn’t be concerned. The matching ring is on the hand of someone who isn’t even in this world, and he’s in a relationship with two people in Avalon. No one is getting deleted on his watch except him, thanks.]
It’s good to be busy!
[He’s a workaholic who stalks his boss and is responsible for probably too much and no one ever appointed any of it to him. Gokudera just likes to take care of as much as he can. Then there’s less for his most important people to worry about.
Having been a guinea pig for his sister’s poisonous cooking, Gokudera knows a lot about how to be kind to stomachs. He should take his own advice, but frequently does not. After all, he’s not eaten much of anything so far this day, just had some coffee and done some reading, tended to his creatures…]
Ah, I hope that something can be done next year to provide even more help to those from Lestari and Celliwig. Maybe a… memorial event, or something of a fundraiser to bolster relationships with those people…
[He knows a few Lords and Ladies who may want to sponsor such an event, but hasn’t thought of how to ask for that support. Gokudera has not been able to give enough aid to refugees. He’s very talented at destroying things.]
What was the potion supposed to do?
Tch, I’m not going to stop calling you Newbie, nice try.
[He gets up, fetches the salad, and places it on the table before taking his own place and continuing to drink his coffee.]
[ She got started on her salad after this-- They had some things in common when it came to being workaholic. Though in Monika's case, it was more because of her perfectionism. Anything being less than perfect? No good. That and nowadays it's a good way not to think too much about her past. ]
Mhm. It'd be nice. [She nodded.] And we need to work towards avoiding further disasters, too...
[ There had been a lot of talk on the network about it, especially after the dragon had been slain. She stayed away from fighting and debating for the most part... But she couldn't really turn a blind eye to those events.
Regardless-- ]
Even if I'm not an actual "newbie?" [She smiled deviously.] I'll have to find an appropriate nickname in return then, ahaha! Careful, I'm pretty good with words.
[ As for the topic of the potion? She got very evasive all of a sudden. ]
It was like, um... Well to be honest, I don't feel comfortable going into the details. It's a tad personal. [She looked away shamefully. Again, it was the truth. Monika's tip of the day: you don't ever need to lie if you know how to word things properly in order to hide the most inconvenient details.] But it didn't feel honest not letting you know I was amnesiac. [She looked back at him with a smile.] You were really nice to me.
Gokudera is also a bit of a perfectionist, but usually in whatever he has a hand in, especially his own development. It’s really not something super noticeable.]
Can’t hurt.
[He’s fought a dragon before, but… in this world he’s a bit annoyed at how everything happened. Oh well.]
Give me your best shot.
[He has plenty of stupid nicknames.]
Just treated you with the same kindness you gave me… [He mutters into his mug.] So do you still want to start a literature club here?
[They don’t have to explore any topic she isn’t comfortable with, and he isn’t the type to pry.]
Give it some time and I'll have the best nickname for you.
[ She just needed to know him a bit better first... She wanted to find the perfect nickname, after all. Nothing less would do! ]
Ahaha, no. [She shook her head. She'd already thought about opening a literature club and... Nope, not here.] I do have a youtube show called The Literature Corner though! I figured the best way to get more people to realize Literature is not boring is to reach through a popular platform and try to make it all sound interesting. [She looked pretty proud about it.] I have plenty videos up already, you can give it a look sometimes!
[ Monika took her own device and sent him a link to her homepage. ]
Not really— There aren't really any interactive features besides the comment sections and a link to my mailbox. [She raised a finger.] It's more of a way to introduce people to literature and encourage them to write their own things. Having your work read on a video and praised does a lot, you know? If you write a poem, I could even feature it in one of my videos, ahaha!
[ If anything, she seemed to be pretty proud of this little channel of hers. And besides, there were no other girls to steal her spotlight in it! ]
[Gokudera clicks it as soon as it’s sent and he’s reading over it. He pauses, shifts about to pull out his glasses, then goes back to reading, listening to her as he looks over the other links for information.]
I don’t know about poetry… personally, but if I did submit something, I may not want to share my actual name…
[He feels that then any criticism will feel less like a personal assault.]
That's not too uncommon you know. Plenty of authors use pen names.
[ She didn't have one herself, though she wondered what she'd pick if she was to use a pen name... Maybe that name from her creator's other project she had peeked in. She felt a special attachment to it. But now wasn't the time for that. He had taken the bait, and so-- ]
So, does that mean I can count on a submission of yours?
Who said you get to know it’s me? I could submit anonymously. I’m sure you get a lot of submissions.
[He’ll humor her, but he’s also not going to give her the impression that he’s excited about possibly writing something artfully. He can be a bit of a grump.]
[ She could always hack into the network to see the identity of the poster... But she tried not to misuse her hacking skills any more. She was better than that! Maybe! ]
I'm looking forward to seeing what you'll submit~!
[He seems a little more cheerful to know that she has submissions. She ought to, being as passionate as she was when they first met. Gokudera really doesn’t know if he has any talent for writing, though, so worries whatever he may submit would be worth a wastebin.]
You really shouldn’t.
[What incredible stories he has (or so he’s been told by Midoriya), are very personal, painful, but there are acts of heroism, and he’s sure he could make the heroes he’d met seem that much more powerful. Never himself. But… what if he wrote so cold and clipped that it would be boring. Gokudera lacks the confidence to submit something written as art. He gets up to get a refill on his coffee, then returns and is holding a little toy plesiosaur dinosaur, spinning its tail about one of his fingers, then watching as it then spins its neck around the rest of his hand.]
Oh come on. I'm sure you're underestimating yourself. I'm not expecting you to submit something Shakespeare himself could have written, you know? It's a mistake most new writers make. Most people when they are new at something, in fact. They compare themselves to the best in their chosen field. And of course, compared to them what they do is not nearly as good. Even my writings can't compare.
[ Oops. His lack of confidence triggered Monika's Tip Of The Day. She knew exactly how he felt, she'd felt that too. Everyone did at some point. ]
Think of it like trying a new sport. You wouldn't compare your performance to an athlete participating in the olympics, would you? [A pause.] As a general rule, your best comparison is with yourself. Look at what you've done yesterday, and try to do a little better today. The improvement may not even be noticeable, but after a year? You've done real progress!
[ She laughed awkwardly, before resting her eyes on his little toys to avoid direct contact. ]
Ahaha! Sorry, I'm rambling again... It's a bad habit from home.
Well, my own expectations aren’t even that high. It’s more that it’s self-expression, and it feels personal.
[He doesn’t think it will be very good for him to read. Maybe more interesting for someone else? Does he want to really share it? Gokudera won’t know until he sets out to write it. The hesitation is there, but he’s more inclined after hearing her.]
You’re not rambling. No need to apologize.
[The ‘toy’ blinks at Monika, then Gokudera sets it down. It shifts and then moves like a seal, body lurching and wobbling until it’s in front of her salad, peeking on at it and staring up with big watery eyes.]
I guess, if I send it to you, that’s okay… But I won’t be looking for criticism. It might feel good to just get it out.
Personal... Yes, I understand. [She nodded.] I was terrified before sharing a poem I wrote for the first time, too.
[ She hadn't really considered that angle. Poem-sharing had become so natural to her, it was like someone had hardcoded it into her head. ... Unfortunately, that analogy was probably truer than she'd like. ]
I'm looking forward to it. But don't force yourself, okay? Do it when you feel comfortable doing it.
[ Wait, did that... Toy blink and moved? She blinked in quick succession as it reached her salad. ]
[A lie. It is scary to be so open, or have something that feels him out there where he can’t control it, or how it’s interpreted.
He huffs, but doesn’t seem so bothered for long.]
Okay.
[The dinosaur yawns and then turns its head, tucking it behind a fin, then moving it right back to drop a glass bead by Monika’s plate… or where it had been.]
Sorry for not introducing you. This is my familiar, Larry. He’s just disguised as a toy.
[ Not terrified at all, right. It was always kinda cute when someone seemingly grumpy and hardened suddenly showed they were just human, like everyone else. She smiled but said nothing more on the matter. She knew she wouldn't like to be pressed on if one of her vulnerabilities came under the spotlight.
So instead she glanced at the toy. ]
Oh, I see. [She approached her hand to try and "pet" it.] He's absolutely adorable.
He’s usually really big and eats all sorts of trash.
[Larry sqwaks up at that hand, then bounces up to intentionally bonk his little head against it. Then he coughs up another trinket, a pearl this time. Gokudera frowns. What’s with those as of late?]
Larry likes to give people marbles. That’s different. Guess he likes you.
[Larry gives an excited little noise and then heaves himself back towards Gokudera.]
Larry likes everyone.
[He’s not trying to be rude or say anything against that observation Monika is making. She’ll let her give herself a pat on the back.]
But it’s usually not pearls. There’s only one person I’ve seen him give marbles to. Try throwing it? Usually the marbles become light barriers or something useful. Maybe the pearls are stronger or more magical?
[Larry is not listening to them, just stops in the center of the table and stares off at nothing. Probably resuming pretending to be a toy. Wow what a cool centerpiece this table has!]
[ That is a bit disappointing to hear he likes everyone-- It's not like she has a lot of those moments when she can feel special. But at least apparently the fact she was given a pearl is special? ]
Throwing it? Mhm, let's see...
[ She took it and threw it onto the ground a couple feet away from them-- Just in case it'd turn out to be an explosive or something. ]
Gokudera hadn’t meant to knock her down a peg or make her feel any less special. Larry has only ever given a pearl to one other person, Chrome. Maybe because they’re both girls? Maybe because Larry likes them? Gokudera can’t speak to that.
When the pearl is thrown, it acts just like a normal pearl might. It bounces and rolls away. Larry turns an eye on Gokudera, and the boy tenses up.]
Ah-! It was just because you’re pretty! I’m sorry! Sorry, Larry! I’ll find it-!
[And while Gokudera is trying to find that pearl, putting his glasses on and actively searching, Larry blows a bubble with a pearl inside. It shrinks, so now it’s a little pearl in a tiny glass pendant. Larry carries it carefully and moves quick, sliding against the table with seemingly no effort, and then offering it up. M’lady~?]
[ Monika gladly accepts the gift! And pets the little familiar in return. Whether she's special or not, there's no denying the pure adorableness that radiates from this familiar and the way he behaves. ]
Thank you...~!
[ She smiles at the little familiar; and turns to Godukera. No need for him to go through the grass now, right? ]
It's okay, he made me another one! [She holds up the pendant.] He's so very adorable, you better take good care of him ahaha!
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
It’s good to be busy!
[He’s a workaholic who stalks his boss and is responsible for probably too much and no one ever appointed any of it to him. Gokudera just likes to take care of as much as he can. Then there’s less for his most important people to worry about.
Having been a guinea pig for his sister’s poisonous cooking, Gokudera knows a lot about how to be kind to stomachs. He should take his own advice, but frequently does not. After all, he’s not eaten much of anything so far this day, just had some coffee and done some reading, tended to his creatures…]
Ah, I hope that something can be done next year to provide even more help to those from Lestari and Celliwig. Maybe a… memorial event, or something of a fundraiser to bolster relationships with those people…
[He knows a few Lords and Ladies who may want to sponsor such an event, but hasn’t thought of how to ask for that support. Gokudera has not been able to give enough aid to refugees. He’s very talented at destroying things.]
What was the potion supposed to do?
Tch, I’m not going to stop calling you Newbie, nice try.
[He gets up, fetches the salad, and places it on the table before taking his own place and continuing to drink his coffee.]
no subject
[ She got started on her salad after this-- They had some things in common when it came to being workaholic. Though in Monika's case, it was more because of her perfectionism. Anything being less than perfect? No good. That and nowadays it's a good way not to think too much about her past. ]
Mhm. It'd be nice. [She nodded.] And we need to work towards avoiding further disasters, too...
[ There had been a lot of talk on the network about it, especially after the dragon had been slain. She stayed away from fighting and debating for the most part... But she couldn't really turn a blind eye to those events.
Regardless-- ]
Even if I'm not an actual "newbie?" [She smiled deviously.] I'll have to find an appropriate nickname in return then, ahaha! Careful, I'm pretty good with words.
[ As for the topic of the potion? She got very evasive all of a sudden. ]
It was like, um... Well to be honest, I don't feel comfortable going into the details. It's a tad personal. [She looked away shamefully. Again, it was the truth. Monika's tip of the day: you don't ever need to lie if you know how to word things properly in order to hide the most inconvenient details.] But it didn't feel honest not letting you know I was amnesiac. [She looked back at him with a smile.] You were really nice to me.
no subject
[No problem.
Gokudera is also a bit of a perfectionist, but usually in whatever he has a hand in, especially his own development. It’s really not something super noticeable.]
Can’t hurt.
[He’s fought a dragon before, but… in this world he’s a bit annoyed at how everything happened. Oh well.]
Give me your best shot.
[He has plenty of stupid nicknames.]
Just treated you with the same kindness you gave me… [He mutters into his mug.] So do you still want to start a literature club here?
[They don’t have to explore any topic she isn’t comfortable with, and he isn’t the type to pry.]
no subject
Give it some time and I'll have the best nickname for you.
[ She just needed to know him a bit better first... She wanted to find the perfect nickname, after all. Nothing less would do! ]
Ahaha, no. [She shook her head. She'd already thought about opening a literature club and... Nope, not here.] I do have a youtube show called The Literature Corner though! I figured the best way to get more people to realize Literature is not boring is to reach through a popular platform and try to make it all sound interesting. [She looked pretty proud about it.] I have plenty videos up already, you can give it a look sometimes!
no subject
Alright. I can give it a watch…
[He finishes his coffee and sits back comfortably.]
Sort of like an online book-club…?
[Gokudera pulls out his device and scrolls through the network.]
no subject
[ Monika took her own device and sent him a link to her homepage. ]
Not really— There aren't really any interactive features besides the comment sections and a link to my mailbox. [She raised a finger.] It's more of a way to introduce people to literature and encourage them to write their own things. Having your work read on a video and praised does a lot, you know? If you write a poem, I could even feature it in one of my videos, ahaha!
[ If anything, she seemed to be pretty proud of this little channel of hers. And besides, there were no other girls to steal her spotlight in it! ]
no subject
I don’t know about poetry… personally, but if I did submit something, I may not want to share my actual name…
[He feels that then any criticism will feel less like a personal assault.]
no subject
[ She didn't have one herself, though she wondered what she'd pick if she was to use a pen name... Maybe that name from her creator's other project she had peeked in. She felt a special attachment to it. But now wasn't the time for that. He had taken the bait, and so-- ]
So, does that mean I can count on a submission of yours?
no subject
I really only journal, and if I used a pen-name, you wouldn't even know it's me.
no subject
[ She's not letting go of this. Well, not just yet at any rate. ]
If you don't want I won't force you, but I'm really curious to see what you could come up with.
no subject
[He’ll humor her, but he’s also not going to give her the impression that he’s excited about possibly writing something artfully. He can be a bit of a grump.]
Probably some kind of haiku… who knows?
no subject
[ She could always hack into the network to see the identity of the poster... But she tried not to misuse her hacking skills any more. She was better than that! Maybe! ]
I'm looking forward to seeing what you'll submit~!
no subject
You really shouldn’t.
[What incredible stories he has (or so he’s been told by Midoriya), are very personal, painful, but there are acts of heroism, and he’s sure he could make the heroes he’d met seem that much more powerful. Never himself. But… what if he wrote so cold and clipped that it would be boring. Gokudera lacks the confidence to submit something written as art. He gets up to get a refill on his coffee, then returns and is holding a little toy plesiosaur dinosaur, spinning its tail about one of his fingers, then watching as it then spins its neck around the rest of his hand.]
no subject
[ Oops. His lack of confidence triggered Monika's Tip Of The Day. She knew exactly how he felt, she'd felt that too. Everyone did at some point. ]
Think of it like trying a new sport. You wouldn't compare your performance to an athlete participating in the olympics, would you? [A pause.] As a general rule, your best comparison is with yourself. Look at what you've done yesterday, and try to do a little better today. The improvement may not even be noticeable, but after a year? You've done real progress!
[ She laughed awkwardly, before resting her eyes on his little toys to avoid direct contact. ]
Ahaha! Sorry, I'm rambling again... It's a bad habit from home.
no subject
[He doesn’t think it will be very good for him to read. Maybe more interesting for someone else? Does he want to really share it? Gokudera won’t know until he sets out to write it. The hesitation is there, but he’s more inclined after hearing her.]
You’re not rambling. No need to apologize.
[The ‘toy’ blinks at Monika, then Gokudera sets it down. It shifts and then moves like a seal, body lurching and wobbling until it’s in front of her salad, peeking on at it and staring up with big watery eyes.]
I guess, if I send it to you, that’s okay… But I won’t be looking for criticism. It might feel good to just get it out.
no subject
[ She hadn't really considered that angle. Poem-sharing had become so natural to her, it was like someone had hardcoded it into her head. ... Unfortunately, that analogy was probably truer than she'd like. ]
I'm looking forward to it. But don't force yourself, okay? Do it when you feel comfortable doing it.
[ Wait, did that... Toy blink and moved? She blinked in quick succession as it reached her salad. ]
Um... Is that toy alive?
no subject
[A lie. It is scary to be so open, or have something that feels him out there where he can’t control it, or how it’s interpreted.
He huffs, but doesn’t seem so bothered for long.]
Okay.
[The dinosaur yawns and then turns its head, tucking it behind a fin, then moving it right back to drop a glass bead by Monika’s plate… or where it had been.]
Sorry for not introducing you. This is my familiar, Larry. He’s just disguised as a toy.
no subject
[ Not terrified at all, right. It was always kinda cute when someone seemingly grumpy and hardened suddenly showed they were just human, like everyone else. She smiled but said nothing more on the matter. She knew she wouldn't like to be pressed on if one of her vulnerabilities came under the spotlight.
So instead she glanced at the toy. ]
Oh, I see. [She approached her hand to try and "pet" it.] He's absolutely adorable.
no subject
[Larry sqwaks up at that hand, then bounces up to intentionally bonk his little head against it. Then he coughs up another trinket, a pearl this time. Gokudera frowns. What’s with those as of late?]
Larry likes to give people marbles. That’s different. Guess he likes you.
no subject
[ She gratefully accepted the pearl. ]
All familiars seem to like me, I'm not sure why, ahaha! Except mine...
[ Probably because her very own familiar knew her better than anyone else. ]
no subject
Larry likes everyone.
[He’s not trying to be rude or say anything against that observation Monika is making. She’ll let her give herself a pat on the back.]
But it’s usually not pearls. There’s only one person I’ve seen him give marbles to. Try throwing it? Usually the marbles become light barriers or something useful. Maybe the pearls are stronger or more magical?
[Larry is not listening to them, just stops in the center of the table and stares off at nothing. Probably resuming pretending to be a toy. Wow what a cool centerpiece this table has!]
no subject
[ That is a bit disappointing to hear he likes everyone-- It's not like she has a lot of those moments when she can feel special. But at least apparently the fact she was given a pearl is special? ]
Throwing it? Mhm, let's see...
[ She took it and threw it onto the ground a couple feet away from them-- Just in case it'd turn out to be an explosive or something. ]
no subject
Gokudera hadn’t meant to knock her down a peg or make her feel any less special. Larry has only ever given a pearl to one other person, Chrome. Maybe because they’re both girls? Maybe because Larry likes them? Gokudera can’t speak to that.
When the pearl is thrown, it acts just like a normal pearl might. It bounces and rolls away. Larry turns an eye on Gokudera, and the boy tenses up.]
Ah-! It was just because you’re pretty! I’m sorry! Sorry, Larry! I’ll find it-!
[And while Gokudera is trying to find that pearl, putting his glasses on and actively searching, Larry blows a bubble with a pearl inside. It shrinks, so now it’s a little pearl in a tiny glass pendant. Larry carries it carefully and moves quick, sliding against the table with seemingly no effort, and then offering it up. M’lady~?]
no subject
Thank you...~!
[ She smiles at the little familiar; and turns to Godukera. No need for him to go through the grass now, right? ]
It's okay, he made me another one! [She holds up the pendant.] He's so very adorable, you better take good care of him ahaha!
no subject
He looks up at the pendant, clearly impressed. Gokudera brushes his hands off and returns to the table.]
I’ve never seen him make anything like that!
[Larry blows a bubble at Gokudera, and it just starts to orbit his head.]
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)