bakerstreet | hygge

hygge

HYGGE MEME

Hygge (Danish, noun): a complete absence of anything annoying or emotionally overwhelming; taking pleasure from the presence of gentle, soothing things.

Dark winter evening: it's raining outside and it's cold, you're stocking up on blankets, lighting all the candles you can get your hands on and the tea's already brewing in the kitchen. Fend off the darkest season as the Danes do and have a good time with people you love.

First summer picnic: the sun's shining from a clear, blue sky, the temperatures have finally risen after half a year of depressive icy greys and it's time to go outside, bring a picnic basket and break out the wine and strawberries. Enjoy the sunlight while it lasts in a park somewhere or in the forest, if you're adventurous.

Autumn stroll aftermath: the winds are harsh and the leaves colour everything golden and red. Coming home from a walk that has left your cheeks red and your hands cool, go make some hot chocolate and fix up a bowl of marshmallows, it's time to get cosy.

Springtime playtime: the outdoors are turning a fresh green and the sky is bluer than it's been all winter. Bring sodas and sandwiches and go play in the garden. Some exercise should be healthy for the mind as well as for the body, because a game is the best way to shake off winter and reconnect with friends.

Wildcard: got another way to hygge? Bring it here!

How to play -

1. Post a comment with your character's name, canon, and any preferences you may have (no shipping, no smut, etc.)
2. Others pick one of the prompts and either write a starter themselves or leave you to set the scene.
3. Go around and have a good time.

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[He raises an eyebrow in return with a small grin in response to his question before actually answering.]

Yes. Is that wrong?

[He chuckles to himself as he takes a small sip of his tea. Still too hot but that's fine. It feels good on this cold night, not that the weather actually affects him much.]

We should travel somewhere remote sometime. I can show you more of what I'm capable of.

[Ah, there's that pout. The cyborg hides his widening grin behind his cup, taking another sip.]

Not at all. I'm simply surprised you sought me out rather than someone closer to your age.

[Old man talk there but he knows exactly why IV came to him instead of anyone else - because although he doubts the boy will ever admit it outloud, Monsoon is a form of comfort to him. Someone he knows is mostly safe.]

As if there's so much of a selection from those who are! [IV shrugs his shoulders while he makes a face and grimaces dramatically.

There's no denying that IV's forced seclusion paired with his pickiness have left him with a circle of friends that barely deserves being called a 'circle'. Never mind about them being in the same age group as him.

The reason why he has sought out Monsoon has nothing to do with age, though. The quirky cybord ninja is one of the few persons who can put up with him when IV isn't in the mood to be anything besides himself. That's quite a feat, and he silently appreciates it, no matter how bratty he gets.]

I can bring us wherever I want whenever I want, as long as you aren't scared going through a warp gate. And of course it's wrong!

A fair point.

[Monsoon would rather IV be himself around him. He's all too familiar with the concept of having a public and private face. Even he has that himself to a certain extent but outside of his hidden depths, Monsoon is very what-you-see-is-what-you-get.]

I have no issue with portals. If it makes life easier, who am I to be superstitious or complain? You use it regularly and you're whole and healthy. Just don't go stealing things because you can.

[Yet another chuckle.]

Hmmm. What's wrong with tea as is?

[IV pulls a face at him.]

Not the point, and you know it.

[Leaning back, he shrugs the upset off and waves a hand, a smirk playing around his face.]

Good. Because taking my portals means a short trip through a hostile dimension where the air is poison and the water is acid.

Oh well~

[Monsoon continues to grin until IV's sour expression fades, then it softens to just an amused smile.]

Then it's a good thing I generally don't need to breathe, now isn't it? But that begs the question: How do you navigate it?

It's a secret. But let's just say that I'm immune to what would call the powers of Heaven and Hell.

[A power that comes with little perks and a hell of a steep prize. But he isn't going to let that bring the mood down.]

How did you become a human magnetic puzzle?

Impressive. Then you're no ordinary mortal man.

[He knows there's more to it. There always is. Always a price to pay for greater power. It keeps things balanced. Monsoon takes another sip of his tea as Hanzo climbs up on to the couch next to him.]

I suppose enough time has passed to tell you...

[His expression is solemn as he speaks.]

I was involved in a gang shootout. Needless to say, I didn't fair too well by the end of it. Armstrong's company found me when I was in the hospital and offered me a new body if I started working for them.

Mn. [IV hums under his breath in response to that statement, hiding the face he is making at the idea behind taking another sip from his team. He only sets it down when Monsoon grants him an unexpected insight into his past.]

So... you got shot to death in mafia-style? That's got to fucking hurt!

[Real bullets and the like aren't something that are seen much in his world anymore. IV is glad that he never had to deal with them.]

I get why you'd feel grateful for being patched up, although I still don't see why it'd inspire the dog-like loyalty you have to that man. He's a fucking hot air balloon of badly aimed confidence. [But then, IV hates all adults that act like they know and are the solution to all the problems ever. Especially those in power-positions. He never quite got warm with Armstrong's attempts to make nice with him, possibly because he's a paranoid manipulator himself. It takes one to know one, as they say.]

Edited 2023-06-19 13:29 (UTC)

Shot to almost death. I was a hitman for the Cambodian mafia. Normally a group of men is no trouble for me but... I made the mistake of letting my guard down.

It was the worse pain I'd ever felt in my life. Even more so than what I went through as a child.

[Another sip through a smirk.]

You haven't gotten to see him in proper action. Even if I don't agree with all of his ideas, his passion and determination inspire me.

You're still young... I don't expect you to understand or want to understand the political climate of another world. While some may look at Armstrong's goals as selfish, he was doing it all to free the world and protect it from the shackles and the corruption caused by The Patriot Act.

[He pauses, a look of genuine relief on his face.]

I know you've dealt with your own hardships and horrors in your life... but I'm very glad you don't live in our world.

Whether it kills you immediately or a while later doesn't really matter to me. What happened to you when you were a child?

[He suspects he doesn't want to know. But it's exactly because of that that IV isn't going to look away from it. The sudden display of the other man's care for him has IV pause and give him a strange look. It's half confused, half suspicious, half embarrassed and half wistful.]

You underestimate our world. ....and maybe I'm just seeing things a little clearer than others and no longer care.

Fair enough. As for my childhood, quite a lot happened. Do you know the name Pol Pot?

[He suspects he won't. A lot of history books skim over that event.]

Perhaps. I haven't asked you about it as it didn't seem an appropriate subject to casually bring up and I'm not one to pry.

[... When he isn't after something or knows prying into the way to get information from someone. See: IV for the latter.]

Hmm. Does your world operate on a war economy?

He's some dictator on par with the likes of Hitler, right? If I remember right, there's still some islands and huge prisons that are said to be haunted due to the shit he and his henchmen did.

[IV shrugs his shoulders, dismissing his sudden display of knowledge in an area that most wouldn't have expected from him as if it's nothing.]

Not really. There are some countries that are probably still caught up on that [or just straight up suffering through the horrors of war, he adds in his mind] but most of our world runs more in ...Might-makes-Right-based democracies? Nah, survival of the fittest systems might actually fit it better. And that's just our dimension~

[The corner of his lip twitches at the summary. A rather crass way of putting it but... he's not incorrect. Color him surprised that IV knew of him.]

Less so prisons and more so literal fields. Hence the name "The Killing Fields." So many trenches and holes dug, the bodies thrown in haphazardly because there was no point in burying them properly. I lost track of how many fell by my hand alone after the first twenty.

[He hums in thought as IV speaks.]

Nothing wrong with survival of the fittest. It's what's at every living creatures' core, after all.

[The cyborg seems unphased by the mention of other dimensions.]

I'm sure you're aware of those conspiracy theories of "the government is watching you" and the like, yes?

[He watches documentaries sometimes when he needs some downtime, and creepy places interest him. It still took Monsoon's mysterious implications and the other man supplying him with an actual name and some other clues, but eventually IV had enough to connect the dots and wager an educated guess. He's still lacking most of the detail, though.

His brow wrinkles as he thinks over what Monsoon said.]

So you helped killing them?

[He knew Monsoon was mafia, or at least organized crime, but the other being involved in genocide still surprises him. For a moment a cold shiver runs down IV's spine, and he wonders if he shouldn't be scared. ....but then again, how many people has he himself done far worse to than just killing them? He sighs as he looks out of the window.]

I am. Are you implying that was actually true where you're from?

[Just as he intended. If IV actually wanted to know more, Monsoon figured the teen would check it out on his own. Besides, he'd rather the other get an unbiased opnion of it first. Or as unbiased as one can be with that particular event.

Would he see Monsoon as being just as guilty as all other parties involved or would he understand why the children did as they were told?]

"Helped" isn't the term I would use. "Forced" is more fitting. It was kill or be killed - and that was the most valuable lesson I ever learned.

[He notices that slight shiver but says nothing, instead just taking a sip of his tea.]

I am. With the Patriot Act in place, everything was monitored and controlled to ensure the world ran smoothly as the Patriots saw fit. Obviously there were hiccups and the usual rebels trying to overthrow the system but that's normal with all things. It's far more complicated than that, of course, but I doubt you want me to bore you with the details.

It did get overthrown and shut down. And now the world is in utter chaos because of it.

A so you had something akin to what the Astrals would like to do, just the lite version of it.

[Which makes sense, given that it must have been humans using human means to do those things. With the Astrals and the Barians on the other hand.... His lips press into a thin line for a moment before he shrugs the mood off.]

...and I guess that's fair. We all have our reasons for the things we've done and keep doing.

[They're all just puppets, dancing on their respective strings.]

Would you believe me that I've never outright killed anyone?

I will take your word for it as I've never heard of "Astrals" before.

[It was until they switched to a Sentient AI program. That's when things really became complicated.]

I'm glad you see it that way.

[Monsoon takes one more sip before handing the drink to Hanzo to finish. He doesn't want to put too much outside material into his body without the proper filter.

At IV's question the cyborg smiles.]

I do believe you.

[He taps under his eye.]

When you take a life, whether human or otherwise, something changes in your eyes. You don't have that look to them.

[There's a pause as he debates opening up in such a way but... the two have known each other long enough for Monsoon to have grown attached and protective.]

... I hope it never comes to that for you. If it should though and I'm with you... Leave the killing to me.

They're one of the two other dimensions we're dealing with. The Astrals are ...well, call 'em Heaven if you want. Good. Pure. Ascended souls. [He says the last words with clear mocking in his voice and a cruel tint to his voice. It's obvious what IV thinks of these claims.

Shooting Monsoon a look, he shrugs his shoulders.]

I'm just pragmatic. You do a lot you never considered yourself capable of, once things come down and the luxury of morals is no longer an option.

[Looking properly at Monsoon, he chuckles before he props his cheek up on his hand.]

I don't, huh? I guess I ought to take that as a compliment. Means that my painted-on face is really holding up. [He chuckles mirthlessly.] It's true. I've never outright killed. But I've inflicted a lot that's worse.

[His voice mellows as he looks away.]

.....thanks for the offer, though. I won't take you up on it, but it's appreciated.

[Monsoon grins at IV's tone, fully understanding what he's implying.]

I see you didn't list "benevolent."

[Not that he expected it to be, which is why his tone is one of amusement.]

Mn. I quite agree. Humans are capable of so many things. It's just a matter of pushing past that threshold of comfort. Once that's been broken down, the sky's the limit. Within reason of course.

[The cyborg tilts his head with a raised brow. What an interesting little insight to his psyche...]

How curious. Do you really believe there are acts worse than killing?

[He places a hand on his chest and bows his head slightly in silent acknowledgment. There are no need for anymore words on the matter.

IV is certainly full of surprises today though. It's nice to see.]

Of course I didn't.

[They were the ones who instigated the war, after all.]

..... [IV gives him a long look that's vivid with a kind of haunting that's both screaming to be let out and yet doesn't have any words that'd be able to express just what the other has experienced.]

....

[After a long moment, he stands up. Moving deftly behind Monsoon, he places his hands on the older man's shoulders.]

Your mechanic body can be hacked, can't it?

As to be expected.

[Hmm. Another thing to keep in mind for later discussion. Monsoon idly watches as IV gets up and walks around behind him. One eye extends to watch the teen so he can see what he's up to.]

It's possible but extremely difficult. I have the highest security measures in place. Desperado has the best of the best technology available.

[The eye extends to get closer to IV's face.]

... Thinking of attempting it with that crest of yours?

[IV nearly hits the eye with his face as he's suddenly jerking forward, trying hard to hide his laugh at the very idea of him being a competent hacker.]

Ha-! It's way more magic than high-tech-! [Okay, he is laughing now.

Leaning back, he gives Monsoon's shoulders a brief squeeze before he has to reach up and wipe the laughing tears from the corners of his eyes. IV shakes his head before returning his touch. He'd meant for it to be a physical example of what he is going to talk about, not... can you even hack somebody just by touching?]

While your assumption is flattering, that's not within my skills. I was merely trying to find a common ground where what I was going would make sense to you.

[It's good to hear him laugh regardless of the cause. Monsoon chuckles softly to himself as retracts his eye, trusting IV enough to not have to keep watching him. The teen will find the cyborg's "skin" feels realistic enough but there's something still unnatural about it.]

Regardless if it's within your abilities or not, you know my world doesn't have magic so I wouldn't know what it would do to me, if anything at all.

[He turns his head slightly back towards him.]

Do what you wish. I'm sure I can make sense of whatever it is you're trying to show me.

[The almost-but-not-quite feeling of the cyborg's skin fascinates IV enough that it has him unconsciously run his fingers over it and even give it a experimental squeeze, even as his mind is focused elsewhere.

He much can he tell the other about what he has been involved in, back at his world, and how much of that does he actually want to divulge... ?

In the end, he settles for something easy.]

Imagine, you got hacked. There is somebody else who is moving through you, a higher force ...and it's slowly crawling up to your brain and you can feel, feel, how it finally gets there and starts rewriting you. It's not taking all, of course. No easy to detect brainless slave zombies. No, instead it only get a little thing, a tiny, little tweak -- it changes what's most important to you. [His fingers have stopped roaming by now, having come to a rest over Monsoon's collarbones, IV's thumbs framing his neck as if mimicking a loose chockehold. Or a neck shackle.] In your case... [IV hums in thought for a moment before his fingers twitch and his lips part in a barely audible Ha! of malicious delight]

Imagine, Armstrong. You, him, your loyal allies. You've won. He's there. You're so, so close to making all of his aspirations and dreams a reality. And then you turn around and ruin it all irreversibly in front of his very eyes. You're destroying him. And. you. enjoy. it.

[His fingers go for an actual neck squeeze for a moment before he lets go and saunters back to his place, dropping with a smirk into his seat.]

Of course you know that it's just the reprogramming that was done to you that's speaking. But that doesn't matter. Because you've already lost your body, your mind, your feelings, emotions, integrity, even your precious little memes... Short, your all to it, and all that you can do is to be aware while somebody else moves you like a doll.

[IV laughs.]

I've passed a couple of those 'hackings' on already, and then I've played the part of the 'hero' who takes those poor controlled fools down, once they're too broken or no longer useful. All fully legal since others just saw them as mad traitors or deranged lunatics, of course.

[His look is evil, triumphant, even, but if Monsoon pays attention to it he might be able to catch on that there is no real joy in the teen's mien.]

[Monsoon remains silent and motionless as IV goes on his explanation. It does sound horrifying even to him. To have your freewill stripped away and be conscious of the entire thing. Some would argue that he himself lost his humanity when he became a cyborg but... was it ever there to begin with? Did it die with him as a child? Isn't what he described just what he himself sent through during the Killing Fields to a certain extent? Monsoon is a man shaped by the events in his life. The cruel memes he had to endure. But they're something he'd never want to forget or not have gone through. He's wiser for it - and mostly alright with his lot in life.

When the teen comes back around to return to his seat, the older man holds his chin in thought, his eyes roving over IV's form. Body language, tone, expression, and the look in his eyes. That's what he's studying.]

You could say that is simply the way of life in general. The people around you influencing you, the events you experience shaping you. No one truly remains the same their entire life. We can't. Everything changes in time.

[Now it's his turn to stand and walk over to IV. He crouches down in front of him.]

Kill or be killed, IV. The most important life lesson. You were simply doing what you had to in order to survive, regardless if you were being controlled or not.

[He pauses.]

Are you still controlled now? Are you free from that reprogramming? Has it fully changed who you are?

[He points at IV's chest.]

Or is a seedling of the original still in there, deep down?

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