text

[h2no]

I'VE BEEN HERE FOR ABOUT A WEEK NOW, AND HONESTLY I WAS RIGHT CONFUSED ABOUT THIS WHOLE "AMERICA" THING UP UNTIL LAST NIGHT.
TO CUT A LONG STORY SHORT, I ATE A BURGER OFF A SHOVEL AND HAD THE SHORTEST FISTFIGHT OF MY LIFE WITH A GUY WHO HAD A BIG ISSUE WITH THE FACT I HAD NO IDEA THIS COUNTRY EXISTED UNTIL A FEW DAYS AGO.
IT TURNS OUT AMERICANS DON'T LIKE 6FT TALL BATS. IT WAS A LITTLE DISAPPOINTING.
ANYWAY, DOES ANYONE KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT SOCIAL MEDIA? THE SCAMPS I'M SUPPOSED TO TEACH HOW TO SWIM WANT TO MAKE A SOCIAL MEDIA FOR THEIR GROUP AND I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THE HELL ANY OF THEM ARE TALKING ABOUT.
IS IT SOME KIND OF DEXNAV THING??

Comments

Text

[am_i_a_monster]

I've heard worse.

They might want to advertise it. Or they might just want to be social with each other.

Re: Text

[h2no]

HONESTLY, I DON'T CARE WHAT THEY WANT IT FOR.
IT MADE THE GROUP OF KIDS REALLY EXCITED TO TALK ABOUT AND IF IT'LL MAKE THEM HAPPY THEN I'LL DO IT.

Text

[am_i_a_monster]

That's good of you. I'm sure they'll like it.

Re: Text

[h2no]

HONESTLY? I'VE NEVER BEEN AROUND SO MANY CHILDREN BEFORE.
THIS ISN'T LIKE THE AQUA GRUNTS BACK HOME.
GENERALLY, I FIND IT'S EASIER JUST TO SAY "YES" TO WHATEVER THEY WANT.

Re: Text

[am_i_a_monster]

I've never really been around children. What's aqua grunts? Like a swim team?

Careful. They might start asking for more and more if you can't say no to them.

Re: Text

[h2no]

THEY WERE MY TEAM BACK IN HOENN.
I'VE THOUGHT ABOUT THIS.
I THOUGHT I WAS A GUY IN HIS THIRTIES WITH NO KIDS FOR A REASON.
NOW I REALISE ALL THE GRUNTS WERE LIKE MY KIDS.
I DON'T KNOW HOW TO FEEL ABOUT THIS.

Text

[am_i_a_monster]

Hoenn's the name of the place you're from?

Where you a good father figure to them?

Re: Text

[h2no]

YES. NEAR JOHTO.

[the next message takes a while to come.]

NO.
I THOUGHT I WAS BUT
I WASN'T

Text

[am_i_a_monster]

Why not?

Re: Text

[h2no]

I DON'T REALLY WANT TO GO INTO IT BUT LONG STORY SHORT I MADE A STUPID MISTAKE.
I WAS THEIR LEADER AND THEY FOLLOWED ME INTO THE MISTAKE.
SO NOW I'M TRYING TO MAKE UP FOR IT.
BUT I'M HERE ON MY OWN SO WHO KNOWS WHAT'S HAPPENING AT HOME?
ANYWAY, IT'S NOT THE KIND OF MISTAKE I WOULD BE ABLE TO REPEAT WITH THESE KIDS, EVEN IF I WANTED TO.
WHICH I DON'T.
BECAUSE THAT WOULD BE PRETTY FUCKED UP.

text

[am_i_a_monster]

It's good that you know it was a mistake and won't repeat it. Too many parent-types lead their children into really bad stuff and don't know that they're messing their kids up.

Re: text

[h2no]

TELL ME ABOUT IT.
I DIDN'T EVEN WANT TO BE THAT IN THE FIRST PLACE.
IT WAS A BAD TIME.

text

[am_i_a_monster]

Parent child stuff usually is a bad time. At least in my experience. Not wanting it might be better than wanting it too much.

Re: text

[h2no]

I MEAN, THEY WEREN'T KIDS. THEY WERE ADULTS.
I JUST MADE THEM BELIEVE IN ME.
SOME OF THEM STILL DO, BUT.
I DON'T BLAME THE ONES THAT LEFT. I WOULD TOO.
I'M SORRY YOU HAVE EXPERIENCE WITH IT.
THAT SUCKS.

text

[am_i_a_monster]

How did you make them believe in you?

Re: text

[h2no]

I W
I'M HEAD OF TEAM AQUA. WE HAD A GOAL THAT WAS MEANT TO HELP PEOPLE AND THAT'S WHY THEY BELIEVED IN ME.
WE HUNG OUT A LOT AND HAD A LOT OF COMMUNAL STUFF BECAUSE THEY WERE MORE THAN JUST TEAM MEMBERS, THEY WERE MY FRIENDS. I TRIED TO MAKE SURE THEY WERE ALL CARED FOR AND HAD A PLACE TO SLEEP AND EAT.
I JUST SCREWED UP THE PLANS A LOT.

text

[am_i_a_monster]

But you didn't brainwash them, or threaten to take away their safe space, or force them to believe in you?

Re: text

[h2no]

ABSOLUTELY NOT.
I WANTED TO GIVE THEM A SAFE SPACE.
THEY COULD COME AND GO AS THEY PLEASE.
I DON'T KNOW IF I CAN EVER MAKE UP FOR WHAT I DID BUT
I NEVER WENT THAT LOW.
NEVER WOULD'VE.

text

[am_i_a_monster]

Then you didn't really make them. They had a choice.

Re: text

[h2no]

[while he'd been replying almost instantly before, there's a good pause before the next one comes through. on some level, archie knows she's right. he'd never hidden what he intended to do from the aqua members and they had stayed of their own accord.

but... he still thinks he's irredeemable trash. he almost drowned the world and brought his team down to those depths.]

THEY DID.
BUT SOMETIMES I FEEL LIKE I WAS JUST CHARISMATIC ENOUGH TO CONVINCE THEM A BAD PLAN WAS A GOOD ONE.

text

[am_i_a_monster]

A charismatic person can have a lot of influence.

The only thing you can do now is decide how you will use your influence here.

Re: text

[h2no]

I APPRECIATE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, BUT I'VE COME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT MAYBE IT'S BEST IF I DON'T USE IT FOR ANYTHING.

text

[am_i_a_monster]

It's hard not to have any impact on people, especially when you have power over them.

Re: text

[h2no]

WELL, THEY'RE IN LUCK THEN.
I DON'T WANT POWER OVER THEM.

text

[am_i_a_monster]

You're supposed to be their teacher, so you have some power.