[ Tenn leads Yeager to his room after he sees him at the party. He immediately draws a gunn -- I'm kidding. But he does look at him really intently when he closes the door behind him. ]
Sorry, Yeager-san. This might be a weird request, but I need your help.
I want you to tell me how to spot red flags in others. It doesn't need to be specific to anyone, but if you feel that there are people to be wary of, I'd like to know. But I'll leave that up to you.
Hmm... That can be a bit tricky! But I don't mind offering some advice.
[It's an interesting request, and one he's certainly not opposed to helping with. Still, explaining how to spot red flags...]
I think the biggest thing you need to look out for are people who always present themselves in a way that's sympathetic. If you're having a difficult time, they're here to help. If they're having a difficult time, they're quick to try to assure you that your help is exactly what they needed. People like that will try to appeal to you to get you to lower your guard. They want you to believe that they couldn't possibly kill.
[Presenting a false front... a mask, if you will. He speaks easily and evenly, inclining his head a bit as he considers before continuing.]
Most of them are very good at it. If that's what they're trying to do here, it's because it's worked for them before. They know what sort of faces to show others, and they will use people around them to protect them.
[Yor might not have been like that at all. But shielding her from any potential involvement in a murder because she "wanted to be a good mother" is exactly the sort of thing he's talking about here.
Anyway, that's just a starting point, but how's Tenn doing with that idea?]
[ ...Yeah, yeah. He can see this, though he idly thinks about what Raven said about Yor genuinely caring about him -- that, though, is a thought he'll table for after this conversation is over. ]
...A lot of people have been treating me that way.
[ A beat. ]
I don't know if every single one of them are ill-intentioned, though. That's the problem. I can't discern between people who genuinely care and people who are just using me.
[ Like C-ta did. Like Yor did. ]
Adora told me her wish today. It could've been a lie...but...I don't want to believe it was.
To be blunt, it is. That wouldn't be a problem anywhere else - trust like that can certainly be quite powerful! But unfortunately, here in this situation, the cautious and paranoid benefit more than those willing to trust.
I understand that right now you want to believe that there are people here who won't betray you, who won't make you regret trusting them. The fact that you even want to trust in the first place is... a good thing, I'd say.
[It means you want to keep connecting with people. It means you still want to reach out, even if it means you'll get hurt again.]
But that means you must be even more careful. You'll always have blind spots, and you won't always be able to cover for them. When it comes down to it, you'll have to ask yourself what's more important: trusting them regardless, even though you may get hurt again... or always keeping the tiniest bit of doubt, no matter how genuine they seem.
[That's oversimplifying it quite a bit, but it gets the point across well enough for this.]
I do apologize for how harsh my wording is, but it isn't an easy topic. Rebuilding trust once it's been betrayed is not an easy thing to do. Some people never really recover from it.
[...Not that he'd know anything about that, of course.]
[ This is actually a really good way of putting it. Yeager isn't telling him not to trust anyone at all, especially the people he has in mind... But he has a good point about keeping the tiniest bit of doubt.
It feels wrong to do that, in Tenn's mind, but...he remembers in Week 1, when the only person he trusted wholeheartedly was Riku. He doesn't think that would ever change, if Riku were still alive...but it was probably a wiser decision.
The problem is that Tenn Kujo gets attached. That has always been both a strength and his greatest weakness. And here, where everyone is far more experienced in him with this kind of thing -- betrayal, violence, mortality -- he's at a great disadvantage.
A shame that it took him not one, not two, but three trials to learn this. ]
I'll be honest with you and tell you that there's no way I can stop trusting certain people whatsoever. But that bit of doubt -- that's good advice. It's doable.
Understood. In those cases, I wish you the best of luck.
[Maybe they really won't betray Tenn and things will work out fine. Or maybe they will, and Tenn will have to pick himself up yet again and work out how to proceed. It'll get easier each time, but that won't make it any better.]
I've learned a thing or two about trusting - or not trusting - people over the years. I'm pleased I could pass some of that on.
Thank you. I'll be more cautious, moving forward. I would rather not be put in this position time and time again anymore.
[ He really got played one too many times. It's kind of infuriating, but also really saddening. He's...glad he talked to Yeager, even if it was kind of sobering.
Of course. These situations are never easy. I hope things will go well for you and that your trust won't be betrayed again... but if it is, I'm sure you'll be able to handle it.
[And that's simply that, as far as he's concerned.]
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week 3, post that shitshow
Sorry, Yeager-san. This might be a weird request, but I need your help.
I want you to tell me how to spot red flags in others. It doesn't need to be specific to anyone, but if you feel that there are people to be wary of, I'd like to know. But I'll leave that up to you.
no subject
Hmm... That can be a bit tricky! But I don't mind offering some advice.
[It's an interesting request, and one he's certainly not opposed to helping with. Still, explaining how to spot red flags...]
I think the biggest thing you need to look out for are people who always present themselves in a way that's sympathetic. If you're having a difficult time, they're here to help. If they're having a difficult time, they're quick to try to assure you that your help is exactly what they needed. People like that will try to appeal to you to get you to lower your guard. They want you to believe that they couldn't possibly kill.
[Presenting a false front... a mask, if you will. He speaks easily and evenly, inclining his head a bit as he considers before continuing.]
Most of them are very good at it. If that's what they're trying to do here, it's because it's worked for them before. They know what sort of faces to show others, and they will use people around them to protect them.
[Yor might not have been like that at all. But shielding her from any potential involvement in a murder because she "wanted to be a good mother" is exactly the sort of thing he's talking about here.
Anyway, that's just a starting point, but how's Tenn doing with that idea?]
no subject
...A lot of people have been treating me that way.
[ A beat. ]
I don't know if every single one of them are ill-intentioned, though. That's the problem. I can't discern between people who genuinely care and people who are just using me.
[ Like C-ta did. Like Yor did. ]
Adora told me her wish today. It could've been a lie...but...I don't want to believe it was.
Maybe that's my biggest problem.
no subject
To be blunt, it is. That wouldn't be a problem anywhere else - trust like that can certainly be quite powerful! But unfortunately, here in this situation, the cautious and paranoid benefit more than those willing to trust.
I understand that right now you want to believe that there are people here who won't betray you, who won't make you regret trusting them. The fact that you even want to trust in the first place is... a good thing, I'd say.
[It means you want to keep connecting with people. It means you still want to reach out, even if it means you'll get hurt again.]
But that means you must be even more careful. You'll always have blind spots, and you won't always be able to cover for them. When it comes down to it, you'll have to ask yourself what's more important: trusting them regardless, even though you may get hurt again... or always keeping the tiniest bit of doubt, no matter how genuine they seem.
[That's oversimplifying it quite a bit, but it gets the point across well enough for this.]
I do apologize for how harsh my wording is, but it isn't an easy topic. Rebuilding trust once it's been betrayed is not an easy thing to do. Some people never really recover from it.
[...Not that he'd know anything about that, of course.]
no subject
It feels wrong to do that, in Tenn's mind, but...he remembers in Week 1, when the only person he trusted wholeheartedly was Riku. He doesn't think that would ever change, if Riku were still alive...but it was probably a wiser decision.
The problem is that Tenn Kujo gets attached. That has always been both a strength and his greatest weakness. And here, where everyone is far more experienced in him with this kind of thing -- betrayal, violence, mortality -- he's at a great disadvantage.
A shame that it took him not one, not two, but three trials to learn this. ]
I'll be honest with you and tell you that there's no way I can stop trusting certain people whatsoever. But that bit of doubt -- that's good advice. It's doable.
no subject
[Maybe they really won't betray Tenn and things will work out fine. Or maybe they will, and Tenn will have to pick himself up yet again and work out how to proceed. It'll get easier each time, but that won't make it any better.]
I've learned a thing or two about trusting - or not trusting - people over the years. I'm pleased I could pass some of that on.
no subject
[ He really got played one too many times. It's kind of infuriating, but also really saddening. He's...glad he talked to Yeager, even if it was kind of sobering.
We'll see how long this lasts. ]
no subject
[And that's simply that, as far as he's concerned.]
no subject
No more.
no subject
[Good luck, Tenn. You might need it.]