Video | Llama 29

[firewalled]

Yo! Needed you all to know something important, so listen up, train!

[Rich is standing in front of the monitor in the music room, hands on his hips, looking very stern and serious... but then he smirks.]

Have you ever gotten ads online promising hot bisexual singles in your area?

[...Is he actually shooting fingerguns?]

It's me. I'm the hot bisexual single in your area. Just thought you all needed to know I am currently on the market.

Please field all date inquiries to my mailbox. Or my sleeper car, whatever. I'm rooming with Alice, but we are not an item.

[She would pretty much laugh in his face if he even implied they were.]

Comments

[jingyeets]

( Consider him back to stymied. )

I'm all for deciding these things on your own, everyone should. No one can fall in love for you, and no one should, that's a powerful emotion. It's more like my clan doesn't really test people out, except I guess if you fall in love with a friend, so the idea just sounds strange. Uh... good luck with that journey?

( A pause. )

You're young enough you should still have plenty of time?

( ??? )

[firewalled]

Ah. So you're kind of set up with someone, and then it's one and done, right? Sort of arranged, and sort of not. Sorry, a world like mine must sound pretty confusing then.

[He laughs softly.]

Well, yeah. I'm just barely old enough to get married. Still, I guess I haven't... had a real partner, so I'm kind of desperate to have a shot with someone.

[jingyeets]

Lans aren't into arranged marriages, if that's what you mean. In the sense that we set ourselves up with someone, and then it's one and done, yeah. Not for all clans, but it is for mine.

( if you want to meet a clan of calmly repressed 40+ year old virgins, welcome. He sees zero odd about anything of the sort, and doesn't judge the otherwise, just finds it startling. )

Yeah, well... desperate's not a good look. Don't get into something rash just because of that, all right?

( It's a hamfisted way of saying "you're worth more than that" but hey. )

[firewalled]

Oh, huh. So basically, you're allowed to choose who you love, but after that, you can't change your mind and not love anyone else?

[That seems... a little weird, but if this guy isn't stuck in an unhappy marriage, he supposes it'll work out for him. Rich tries not to judge, especially since the man is trying not to judge him harshly.]

Hey, no worries. I'll be careful, but I do appreciate the concern!

[jingyeets]

( He clucks his tongue. )

Closer, but it's not that we can't, we just don't.

( Not in a weird way, he doesn't say; he doesn't think to quantify that it doesn't make them unreasonable monsters, which it could be, assuming they fell in love and forced that love. Not to say some won't. People are people. But one shouldn't, because the onus for feeling was on an individual. Tragedies write themselves easily on unrequited love pressed. )

Yeah, yeah, whatever. ( Paired with a wave of his hand, but not said with an edge, it's a sad attempt at 'you're welcome.' ) You do you however you're gonna.

[firewalled]

That's... weird. So no one where you're from ever falls out of love with someone? Are you sure it's never happened before?

[How can they have that much self-control? He would be happy for them, but he doesn't understand how that can be something other than worrisome. He knows of religions that don't allow you to move on, and that has always led to more harm than good in his world.

But maybe that's a little much to talk about when he realizes...]

Shit, I haven't even said my name. I'm Rich. Rich Goranski. Sorry, I went right into the existential questions instead of small talk.

[jingyeets]

No Lan, once they've fallen in love. We're just one clan, not the entire world. It's not like we expect anyone to do what we do, yanno? Though this whole dating thing doesn't really sound like how... most things go for people in the clans, major or minor. You'd court, but it's a little different.

( We are sitting here wondering what Lan Jingyi now believes modern dating even is. Quite probably, even he doesn't know.

At the switch to introductions, he snorts, waving a hand at the screen before folding his arms across his chest. )

Lan Jingyi of Gusu Lan, nice meeting you. I dunno, sometimes small talk's the most painful kind. ( a pause. ) Is Rich or Goranski your family name?

[firewalled]

Right. I don't really get all the details. It sounds sort of like you're from a world like my world's past, but there are bits and pieces that are different. Relationship-wise, I mean. For everything else, you might have magic powers or flying robots or something.

[He gives a small smile, grateful to have a name to go with the face, at least.] Goranski's my family name. For what that's worth. Rather you just call me Rich, though.

[He'd rather not be connected to his father, after all.]

[jingyeets]

( A small pause. )

Is Rich-xiong okay?

( Or, if it translates, the equivalent of Bro Rich, a laidback sort of address either way; at this point, it's just that a single syllable call for someone to him feels weird, and that's all. )

[firewalled]

Rich-xiong? That sounds fine. If there something you'd like me to call you?

[Rich doesn't know much about addressing people, but he wants to be polite... and it is interesting to see how other people show their respect.]

[jingyeets]

( He pauses, since it's pretty nice for Rich to ask, given no one really usually has to, the culture clash here something he's struggling with daily. Most of it is interesting, on the upside, but moments like these, they're nice. )

Jingyi-xiong would work, if you wanted.

( Said with a touch of a shrug. It's technically more solidly putting them as comrades, but that's fine in his opinion, given the circumstances. )

[firewalled]

Jingyi-xiong. Okay.

[Rich repeats it quietly a few times for himself, trying not to fumble the pronunciation, even with his lisp getting in the way. It takes some practice, but eventually it's... well, acceptable.]

It's really nice to meet you, Jingyi-xiong. I'm glad you're willing to teach me stuff! I know half my teachers were tired of my bullshit, so.

[jingyeets]

( He might end up finding it easier to go with a more direct translation, Jingyi Bro! over tie, but the attempt at it means even if it's not perfect, Jingyi isn't saying anything about it. He's more... touched? He's not sure, it's kind to be trying, as some terms don't seem to naturally translate across languages the same ways.

(Slang, if he really know, would be most consistently like this.) )

Yeah, well thanks for trying, too. ( He rubs at the back of his neck, then sighs. ) If we're not here and learning something from each other, aren't we being too inflexible? Anyway, nice meeting you too, Rich-xiong. See you around?

[firewalled]

[Rich doesn't really realize he's being all that kind, since he'd hope anyone would do the same, but perhaps if he did, well, maybe he wouldn't think so poorly of himself after all.]

Yeah, for sure! See you around, dude!