Todoroki-kun and I didn't run into anything too dangerous on our path, and it looks like most people I've talked to weren't injured too badly. I still haven't heard back from everyone, though.
This place really likes to take normal things and turn them dangerous. First the lake, now vegetables...
Thanks, Keith-kun. I'm messaging anyone I didn't manage to catch on the way out. I'm definitely going in again if anyone doesn't reply by tomorrow, and I'd appreciate the company.
[A few hours later, Izuku sends another message. It had taken him a while to decide if he should or not, but... Keith had opened up to him about his misgivings about leadership last time. And, ironically, Izuku finds it easier to talk to him about this kind of thing over his friends from home--probably because Keith doesn't know him as well as they do, and doesn't expect anything from him as a result.]
[At the very least, Keith understands the sort of misgivings on Izuku's mind, or at least, that's the impression he got after the last time they spoke -- understands them too well, really, if he's being honest with himself.]
Yeah. I think... I think that's definitely normal. When you're the one who sent someone into harm's way, no matter what the reason or how it happened, and couldn't keep them from getting hurt. Yeah, helpless is the word.
I still miscalculated, thinking the forest would just stay the same as before. I know this means we'll be more prepared the next time anyone goes in, but it still feels awful.
Honestly, I think I'd be more worried if it didn't feel awful. I mean anyone can recognize the benefit, but it sounds like you understand the cost too -- even if that cost has been to other people who followed your direction. It means you're keeping that risk in mind, right? You can't let it stop you from moving forward, but it'd be bad to ignore it or pretend it away or just not care who got hurt in the process.
It's weird. I know I understood the risks before, but I think it's really hitting me now. Back home, I've come up with plans for my friends and I when we were in trouble, but most of the time, the trouble came to us instead of the other way around.
It's different this time. It's a heavy kind of feeling, knowing that you're responsible for the safety of so many people. I don't think I'd ever be able to just put anyone in danger and not care what happened to them. That's why it scares me so much...a miscalculation like this next time could cost someone their life. I don't want anyone getting hurt because of a mistake I made.
Right...because you don't have all that extra time to think about it.
Definitely not any better, now that we know how dangerous things around here could get. We've been lucky so far, that nothing in the forest has come into the town, but if we stay here for too long, that might change, too.
So...what you're saying is, don't stop trying, but take responsibility when something happens under your watch.
Really lucky. There's no telling when that might change. So it'd probably be a good idea to stay vigilant. Luckily most people seem pretty capable of defending themselves at least a little. But none of us should get stuck in a situation of needing to do that alone, not while we know next to nothing about what might show up.
Yeah, I think that is what I'm saying. We can't wish away the risk. All we can do is make the best choices we can and trust that the people we're working with will do their best too.
You think a patrol or something like it would be a good idea?
[It's what the heroes back home to do deter villains from even committing a crime in the first place. Even if a patrol doesn't scare the creatures off, they'll at least have people waiting for them if something happens.]
There's a lot of us who are capable of fighting. Maybe we could think about asking for volunteers.
Definitely. I think John mentioned something about that too. I told him I'd be up for it, so I'll tell you the same thing. With everything that's been going on, and the things we know live in the woods, patrol sounds like a good idea.
If we don't have the right technology, maybe a quirk or some kind of magic could work instead. I don't think any of my classmates have quirks that would help in this kind of situation, though...
I think tech might be hard. My suit has built in communications, but there's nothing for it to send or receive here. So maybe magic. Or quirks. Or some low-tech system -- sirens set up somewhere or something.
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How'd it go overall?
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Todoroki-kun and I didn't run into anything too dangerous on our path, and it looks like most people I've talked to weren't injured too badly. I still haven't heard back from everyone, though.
[It worries him.]
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But we found actual seeds, so weird good.
Then it sounds like it went pretty well. Hopefully the others check in soon.
If not, and you want to mount a search party, count me in.
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Thanks, Keith-kun. I'm messaging anyone I didn't manage to catch on the way out. I'm definitely going in again if anyone doesn't reply by tomorrow, and I'd appreciate the company.
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Makes sense. Let me know if you do. Definitely better than going back in alone.
1/2
2/2
You were right about the risks last time.
Re: 2/2
Yeah?
What happened?
[At the very least, Keith understands the sort of misgivings on Izuku's mind, or at least, that's the impression he got after the last time they spoke -- understands them too well, really, if he's being honest with himself.]
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Is it normal to feel helpless even when you know you couldn't exactly do anything for them when it happened?
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Yeah. I think... I think that's definitely normal. When you're the one who sent someone into harm's way, no matter what the reason or how it happened, and couldn't keep them from getting hurt. Yeah, helpless is the word.
But everyone involved knew there would be risks.
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I still miscalculated, thinking the forest would just stay the same as before. I know this means we'll be more prepared the next time anyone goes in, but it still feels awful.
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Good.
Honestly, I think I'd be more worried if it didn't feel awful. I mean anyone can recognize the benefit, but it sounds like you understand the cost too -- even if that cost has been to other people who followed your direction. It means you're keeping that risk in mind, right? You can't let it stop you from moving forward, but it'd be bad to ignore it or pretend it away or just not care who got hurt in the process.
I think, at least.
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It's different this time. It's a heavy kind of feeling, knowing that you're responsible for the safety of so many people. I don't think I'd ever be able to just put anyone in danger and not care what happened to them. That's why it scares me so much...a miscalculation like this next time could cost someone their life. I don't want anyone getting hurt because of a mistake I made.
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I mean, none of us chose to be here. And if we're going to find a way out, we can't stand by and wait.
But I get it. There are lives at stake.
How do you really live with that, if you're the one who sends someone down a path they don't come back from?
But the other choice is standing still. And that might not be any better in the long run.
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Definitely not any better, now that we know how dangerous things around here could get. We've been lucky so far, that nothing in the forest has come into the town, but if we stay here for too long, that might change, too.
So...what you're saying is, don't stop trying, but take responsibility when something happens under your watch.
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Yeah, I think that is what I'm saying. We can't wish away the risk. All we can do is make the best choices we can and trust that the people we're working with will do their best too.
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[It's what the heroes back home to do deter villains from even committing a crime in the first place. Even if a patrol doesn't scare the creatures off, they'll at least have people waiting for them if something happens.]
There's a lot of us who are capable of fighting. Maybe we could think about asking for volunteers.
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Definitely. I think John mentioned something about that too. I told him I'd be up for it, so I'll tell you the same thing. With everything that's been going on, and the things we know live in the woods, patrol sounds like a good idea.
If we got enough volunteers we could take shifts.
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I'm sure there'd be a lot more people willing to help out, too.
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It'd be better if no one did that sort of thing alone too, so enough people for groups of at least two would be best.
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Sending people out alone would just be asking for trouble.
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Agreed. Especially near the forest, it's better to keep paired up.
It's too bad we don't have a way to really contact each other remotely except for the laptops.
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If we don't have the right technology, maybe a quirk or some kind of magic could work instead. I don't think any of my classmates have quirks that would help in this kind of situation, though...
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I think tech might be hard. My suit has built in communications, but there's nothing for it to send or receive here. So maybe magic. Or quirks. Or some low-tech system -- sirens set up somewhere or something.