listen to your heart 😌

[parrygripp]

"Can You Handle Your Emotions?"

Emotions are... eh. We all have them, whether we want to or not. Some people have control over their emotions, and some people let their emotions control them. Where does your character fall on this spectrum? More importantly, what's their relationship with their emotions like? Do they bury everything deep, deep down inside, or are they the first one to cry over a sappy movie? Do they even know how they feel about what's going on inside? Pretty meta stuff.

• No blank top-levels.
• Instead, characters are to respond to the proposed question: can you handle your emotions? / are you in touch with your feelings?
• Get deep. Look within. Hear, think feel... or don't.

Comments

[ineedyourhelp]

A meaning to it. [He mulls over Hank's words. Life was far simpler when all he had to worry about was Carl's care. Now he has the whole of his people looking to him for help, for leadership.] Finding the meaning behind what you were doing helped you deal with the pressure?

Things between our people are calmer, but I worry. I worry for both of our kind. [Will the peace hold? Will his people truly be given roles as equals in society?]

[fuck1ngusernam3]

Yeah... There's a lot to worry about. You'd know that better than me. But yeah, if all that pressure on you's for something, it helps. Take it from me, it uh...

[Hank pauses, looking down at his hands, because he has to push this part out.]

It changes things, when you don't have that.

You're doing something more important than anyone else in this damn country's done in a long time, and you're the only guy who can do it. And that's... shit, I probably sound like an asshole saying this, but you get to look at people really suffering and say, I can fix that. I can make that better. And then you actually can. Most of us never get to have that. Not the way we thought. So.

[He leans back, rubbing at his knees again and looking up at the shelves on the wall like he's not avoiding Markus' eyes, like he's actually going to see something new up there. His casual tone, once he looks at Markus again, sounds forced even to him, but there's not a lot he can do about that but hope Markus is nice enough to go along with it.]

Pretty sure a vacation wouldn't hurt, though. Bet you've never got to take one of those yet.

[ineedyourhelp]

[A quiet feeling of sorrow tugs at Markus and he bends his head to continue petting the big dog. Yes he's helped free his people, but how many died because of it?

It was a burden he never asked for, but Hank was correct. If he could do something, if he could make the work meaningful, he could never step back. Would he ever get a chance to paint again? Probably not.

But it was a fight worth carrying on.

He blinks up at Hank, a ghost of a smile on his face. It's a deflection and he understands. He came to Connor's friend with a heavy burden.] A vacation? I've never had one of those. They sound.. nice.

[A pause because it needs to be said,] You do make it better, you know.
You have for Connor, and you're doing it right now for me.

[fuck1ngusernam3]

[Hank makes a wordless, derisive noise. It's a nice thing to say. Markus seems like the kind of guy who does that, says nice things just because, but that doesn't mean Hank has to let it pass by without calling it out -- even just casually -- as bullshit.]

I don't know about that. You came to me for advice and I told you to be grateful you're so stressed. I'd be kinda pissed off.

[He leans an elbow on the arm of the couch, setting his cheek in his hand.]

Who'd take over if you had to take off for a week or two? Or go on... half-time, or whatever, only on call for emergency stuff? You think you could swing something like that?

[ineedyourhelp]

[Markus smiles again, everything Connor had told him about his friend has been true. The deflections, the grouchy replies.

He is beginning to understand Connor's fierce loyalty to the man.] But I'm not pissed off. This is something I have to do, what they need me to do.

[Markus slowly shakes his head.] I can trust Connor, and by extension you. But I wouldn't take you both from the job that you love.

[fuck1ngusernam3]

Yeah, I mean I'm sure Connor'd want to help out if you asked. But I was thinking some of the other guys you work with, if one of them could take over -- even just like, a few hours a night. You guys don't have to stop to sleep, right? You take breaks?

[He turns his head enough that the hand on his cheek can rub at the little hint of a hangover pulsing behind his temple, frowning at Markus. He feels like he does nothing but take breaks, even now; if he could give some of that to these guys, guys like Markus and the android recruits just starting out at the station who think they can just go and go and go without burning out, then they'd stop once in a while and he'd be able to go just a little harder and everyone would be better off. Too bad that's not the way it works.]