004. video/spam

[wildguardian]

[He settles himself on a sofa in a corner of the common area, along the very base of the tree, and lifts his wrist to a comfortable level to smile at the camera. He's done this before. It's performative as fuck, and he doesn't enjoy it, but it's past time that he got over his sulk and started getting people motivated here.]

Good morning, Clipper! Some of you I know and some of you are strangers, but we can welcome one more lovely day on this new boat together regardless. To the strangers: Zhao Yunlan! Formerly of the Barge, and even more formerly of Dragon City's Special Investigations Department.

I thought I'd take this opportunity to talk to all of you about happiness. Peace. Indeed, justice itself -- because I'm sorry to say I think our dear Nurse's head is not in the right place on those topics, and we could all get some better results with just a little change of perspective.

Anger, you see, is the natural response to injustice! Think back to the last time in your life you got real peeved -- what caused that emotion? I bet you were thinking, That's just wrong, or You can't treat me like that, or How could you do that?

It's a powerful feeling, and don't get me wrong, it sure as heck can be misdirected and cause some real harm in the world.

But the true cure for anger is to gather the strength to go after injustice. Not listening to happy music and putting on a smile. You know it as well as I do! Don't you feel that anger lingering in your heart as long as the wrong goes unfixed?

[He grins at the camera, sharp.]

Who ever repaired a wrong just by saying they were fine?

[And with a grand gesture of his free hand:]

I open the discussion! How do we make a better world? How can we improve this good ship?


Spam

[Zhao Yunlan spends most of his first week either moping in his room or moping generally around the ship. He'll participate in his assigned shifts, but he's hopeless in the kitchen and hopeless at custodial work, outside of the truly unskilled tasks like emptying garbage cans and hauling buckets of soapy water.

Once he's gotten his week of uselessness out of his system, he's choosing to become aggressively involved. Expect him to plop down next to you on the couch and strike up a conversation, Barge transfers and Clipper natives alike. He'll volunteer to tell stories at storytime, and launch into tales of war or murder investigations past if he's able to take the mic. He'll... be stuck washing dishes on every kitchen shift, because he doesn't seem to have the least idea of which flavors can safely go together and which ones will create a heart-rending abomination of a dish.

Sometimes, after the evening storytime but before it's late enough to sleep, he can be found leaning on the railing and staring up at the treehouse and the useless, opaque ceiling above it, lollipop stem jutting aggressively from his lips, expression very far away.]

Comments

[fork_off]

I did ask once, but all I got was that they were on other ships. That I shouldn't worry about.

[Which, if anything, made him worry more.]

I'll try asking again.

[wildguardian]

No details, no specific names...?

[There's a hint of bleakness in his tone. Yeah, he's worried about Shen Wei.]

I'd appreciate it. Let me know what you get.

[fork_off]

No. I asked about Crozier and she didn't say anything about him. Who is it you're wondering about? I could try that. See if she'd tell me about someone if it'd assist a patient.

[wildguardian]

Shen Wei. He's going to have a hard time wherever he's gone, I'd just -- like to know if it's someplace where he'll be safe.

[fork_off]

I'll make sure to ask after him.

[wildguardian]

Thanks, man.

[fork_off]

You're quite welcome.


This place is very strange. Not at all what I expected.

[wildguardian]

Yeah, the toddler style decor is really starting to wear on me.

Not to mention the fact that no one ever really leaves, or so I hear.

[fork_off]

No one leaves? I didn't hear that.

[But then, he hasn't been listening to rumors.]

[wildguardian]

Once you get out of here, I hear the Nurse keeps an eye on you for life. If your mood starts to slip, you get to come back for a refresher course.

[fork_off]

What. I.

[That's bad. That's worse than anything he could have imagined.]

I miss the Admiral more every day.

[wildguardian]

Oh, yeah. Same.

[fork_off]

Do you think we'll ever see him again?

[wildguardian]

I don't know what the Authority does to its employees when they've been bad, but... well, let's just say I'm not counting on him to stage a daring rescue.

[Even if he hasn't been obliterated from existence, he's probably going to jail for a long time.]

[fork_off]

No, that's unlikely. If we see him again, it'll be the Authority making an example of him. However they do that.

[wildguardian]

It doesn't seem like the ships run across each other -- or get public messages from the Authority -- all that often.

I'm guessing we'll just never see him again. Anything that happens from here on out is up to us.

[fork_off]

So we'll have to save ourselves.

[wildguardian]

You've got the idea.

[He's not going to suggest any specifics over the network, but--]

Think about it, huh?

[fork_off]

I will.

Perhaps we should meet somewhere? Talk more?

[wildguardian]

Sure, sure, my friend. If you ever happen to go looking for me you can find me hanging out in the common area, or by my room. Second level.

[fork_off]

I'll find you if I have anything else to say.

[Which he will, soon enough.]

[wildguardian]

[Yunlan was telling the truth: when he's not pulling shifts in the kitchen or cleaning, he's easy to find in either of those places, either sprawled on a couch in the common area or hanging out in his room, seated on the bed and staring at the opposite wall as he thinks.]

[fork_off]

[Thomas will seek him out in his room, desiring privacy, and knock on his door.]

Can I come in?

[wildguardian]

[There's no door, just a curtain for a Patient's room -- and boy, does Zhao Yunlan hate that bit, too -- but he appreciates the gesture of knocking regardless.]

Sure. I don't have a guest chair, sorry.

[As Blanky enters, he'll turn towards him, pulling one foot up onto the bed to tuck it under his other knee. He gestures towards the spot at the foot of his bed for Blanky to sit.]

Make yourself at home.

[fork_off]

That's all right.

[He sits at the end of the bed, hunching over a little. As cheerful as he usually is, the forced happiness of this place is getting to him.]

Do you have any kind of plan?