maskormenace | 01 ♥ Video

[It's hard to type with little stone fingers, so he's trying to use the voice function for the first time.

Too bad he accidentally activates the video option instead. And also makes this public. Oops.

The communicator shakes, and though the image isn't entirely clear, anyone watching can see couple of dark sockets with glowing pupils and what appears to be a skull with ornate carvings and distinctive hair. Sunlight spills through what seem to be leaves in the background, and it's obvious the person on the screen is crouched down somewhere, trying to hide. He's not looking directly into the camera.]

Hey. Joaquin. It's me, Manolo. So, uhhh...[How do you even put this.]

Funny story! You know how I said my powers were music-based? That's actually half of what I can do. I can also do something else. I think it keeps me from dying, which as far as powers go? Not a bad one, if I do say so myself! [Because he's already dead in this form, but like hell he's going to say that, hah hah hahhh.....

Maybe if he sounds upbeat enough he can bullshit his way through this.]

The only downside is that people shouldn't see me. Don't ask why, it's just...a power thing, you know? So maybe you could come down here with, like, a...sheet? Just toss it in my general direction, and we'll be good to go. Everyone will think I am dressed as a ghost. Perfect disguise, yes?

[He is grinning really hard and hoping all this optimism and false confidence will be enough. But then he notices something and now he's looking at the communicator like it just ran him through with a sword.]

Oh no...

[Oh yes. And now everyone can see exactly what this power actually is. Good job, Manny!]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Eight years? [His training to become a bullfighter took ten, but he also started when he was nine.] What did you originally want to do?

Oh, nothing interesting. I was gonna go into school to become a dentist, but that means four years to get my bachelors, and another few years to actually get the training in. Getting any medical job takes forever.

Why did you want to do it, then?

Well... for the money, honestly. Those are the sorts of jobs that pay the best. I don't make jack, working at the garage.

I see. [If Manolo cared about money, he wouldn't have decided to pursue music, but he thinks he at least understands the rationale] If it makes you and your family more comfortable, then I get why you would spend so much time working at it.

We got a mortgage to pay off, and I got a little sister I want to send to college.

[It's as simple as that, really. The rest of it would be nice too, but making sure his family's comfortable has always been priority number one.]

But like I said, here I've got none of that, so... money's not really a huge issue anymore.

[Does he want more? Sure. He likes being comfortable, buying things for his friends and for himself, making sure they've got enough cash for groceries and all the daily supplies he had no idea costed so much.

But at the end of the day, he's only providing for himself, and that doesn't matter much to him. It's how he wound up at the very job that his father would shudder to see him in.]

[Manolo can't help smile warmly at that. Putting family first, that's definitely something he gets. Jaime is a really good guy.]

That makes sense. Why fixing cars, though? If you don't mind my asking.

Naw, I don't mind at all. S'not like it's a secret or anything -- it's just the same thing that I did back home, is all. My Dad owns a garage, so I grew up working in it. The cars here might be a little different, but a lot of the basics stayed the same.

Oh, so fixing cars is kind of like the family business, then?

I guess! I dunno if it counts as a family business if my Dad started it up and doesn't want me to take it over. But both of us work there, so it's close enough.

01 ♥ Video

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