video jelly 26 (cw: mentions of child abuse, other triggering topics likely)

[blue_ice]

[ Kaiba is blissfully, thankfully, 19 again. Back to normal, back to work...except for one thing. ]

Everyone recovered from the children running amok? Good. As one of the rowdy kids, I cleaned up what was left of my mess. Thanks for looking out for me, those who did.



[ And then his voice softens a little quiet and thoughtful. ]

And on a more awkward personal note? If I alarmed you with my demeanor at that age, you can quit worrying. 'Father' hasn't been in my life for years. I've surpassed him, and I'm not the person he molded me into anymore. But on reflection, I realized I'm not the only one who's had memories of that nature resurface. When the memories of childhood are suddenly fresh, the whiplash can be unnerving.

So I have a small proposal for all of you: a ceremonial burying of the past. You don't have to share anything you don't want to, but it might be cathartic, to draw or write up a representation of whatever baggage got dredged up and destroy it. Or you could talk to someone the old-fashioned way, I'm not gonna police it.

Where you came from doesn't have to define you. But it's still part of you, and if it's still causing pain, it's worth trying to exorcise it. I'm in the rock garden if anyone wants to join me.

Comments

[bakegarasu]

... Works for me.

[Not enough, but still.]

Gonna be okay to burn stuff? Given the enclosed space.

[blue_ice]

That's what fire pits are for. Easily contained. I built the walls high, and I have an extinguisher with me.

[bakegarasu]

Guess that's fair.

I'll be there soon.

[>action]

[blue_ice]

[ Kaiba is kneeling over a small metal bowl he's claimed, a few shreds of paper already inside. He has his notebook out as he writes out all he remembers from that day, and lifts a head at the sound of footsteps. ]

Ready to let it burn?

[bakegarasu]

[Otoha chuckles at the question and nods. With some of his scars...]

'Burn' is appropriate. It's... never mind. Long and depressing story.

[Not one he wants to get into now, with someone he barely knows.]

Let me write up something.

[He pulls out his notebook and a pen and starts writing something down - it's a list of names. It takes a minute or so with some stops and starts before he pulls the paper out of the notebook. He then takes a little bit to write his father's name, the kanji clear and precise, before pulling out that page, too.]

[blue_ice]

[ Seto is polite enough to turn away while he writes. ]

I'm not going to ask what you chose. But in vague terms...these are some old chains I'm trying to break. I tried everything except talking about it, heh.

[bakegarasu]

... Talking about it is new for me, too. I... didn't really see anything wrong with it for a long time. Sometimes I still don't, even though I know that's wrong.