That might be hard to do, unless we want to go out into the wilderness like how we were in District 4...
( they don't think the sinners' memories of their first meeting out there were any more positive than dante's own recollections of it. )
Well... Maybe I can convince Vergilius and Charon to help me go get some ice cream for you all and bring it back to the bus. That way we can at least rule out the possibility of collateral damage.
But, yes. I will try to become a manager that you can relax around more often. Though... I hope I will also become a manager that some of the others can perhaps relax around less often.
( they pause for a moment or two before continuing. this... has been a subject that has come up many times in dante's thoughts, as they try to decide what is the best path for them to go down, if they want to improve. if they want to properly lead these sinners into the hearts of their own tragedies, so they can acquire the Golden Boughs and achieve their goal. )
Gregor... I'm not sure if it was correct for me to push you, at that time. I thought it was... But perhaps I shouldn't make assumptions of what is best for you, knowing as little as I do about you. There were more factors at play in the District 4 branch than just your own. I don't want you to feel as though the burden of blame is entirely yours. We all shared in it. Does that make sense?
what in tarnation......at least you can enjoy your new place at LAST tho X(
Oh, maybe that's not such a good idea at all. Not that I'm worried about us, of course, but it's you I worry about. Even if Vergilius wouldn't let anything actually bad happen to you, I guess, it's hard not to worry.
Aaaaaaand this is why. Because you're a good pal. Just have to figure out the management styles for everyone, which can't be easily done, but I think you can do it. We've only been all together for a little while, alright? But we're already pulling together decently. That's all up to you, I think.
[Time for Gregor to take in a good, deep breath of his own, and try to muster back all the gusto he'd had prior. Motivation's something he needs to provide more of, if he wants to make up for what he's done.]
So don't worry any about pushing me that time. I needed it. I knew you were right even before you said it, but I needed someone to make that decision for me when push came to shove. All that matters is we had some successes, I guess. None of them are going to feel great after what we're going to go through, but we're going to keep getting boughs. Like hell Hermann's getting any more. Got it?
( it's a strange feeling, to hear that someone is concerned for their well-being. well, yes, they do get the sense that vergilius and many of the other sinners want them to remain unharmed, but dante gets the sense that it's more perfunctory and less personal — as manager, they play an important role, and they simply can't allow them to fall or falter in that. but when gregor says that he worries for them as a friend (or, sorry, a pal), they trust that he is telling the truth. even without what they had all gone through in District 4, dante knew enough about the thirteenth sinner to know that he has a good heart.
good enough to concern them. in a world like this, those hearts usually only get hurt. )
Though we've continued to face hardships and setbacks, our success rate has only improved as we've moved forward. I know that you sinners are doing your best to apply yourselves and fight harder, when necessary... So, yes, I will continue to try to learn how best to support you. This road seems like it is going to be a long and difficult one. We should be prepared for a marathon, not a sprint.
( dante already regrets having broached this topic, perhaps thinking it might have been better to discuss in person. but they do believe it should be spoken about. gregor carries much on his shoulders... and since it seems inevitable that they will run into hermann and her lackeys again one day, they should try to be prepared. )
Have you heard of a "Pyrrhic victory"? Given what each of you must face to make it to the Boughs, I believe results like this — like what we saw in District 10, but especially what happened in District 11 — will be most common. What matters most is that, in the end, we succeed in collecting the Boughs. And in keeping them away from those like Hermann. But it also matters how we walk away from these victories, or these defeats. We will need to recover quickly and not allow them to dictate our futures. ...Which is why I think the chicken kabobs worked out well. Perhaps we should have a tradition of something like that every time we complete a mission?
[He reads all of that text, humming fondly to himself as a thought occurs.]
Hey, doesn't it get annoying when we do all this stuff related to food, and you can't actually get involved? We can make it a new tradition, but a tradition would take some of the Pyrrhic out of the victory, I think. I mean, it's been a long slog every time, but I felt a lot better with Rodya's haul of chips and Sinclair's chicken kabobs, than all of us just sitting there in silence after we fudged the bough retrieval the first time.
And even marathon runners get to relax after each marathon they take part in, before they train again. We should brainstorm on things that might appeal to even less food-motivated Sinners, you know? That way we all get the serotonin from a battle hard-fought. Though all my immediate ideas are probably ideas that Vergilius would immediately shoot down; who'd even give us prestige at this point, right??
But I think you should get to participate too, since you go through it every time we get roughed up too much. Maybe a night spent sleeping in actual beds or something.
( while dante can't really do so physically, they can't help but fight back the impulse to laugh. not in a mean-spirited, of course — gregor is such a considerate sinner, to concern himself with his clock-headed manager so much. )
It's not annoying at all. This is something I want to do for you guys, after all. You need to eat, even if I don't anymore. And a part of me enjoys it as well, when you are all content with a meal. And... I'm not sure. I am still trying to decide if it is better for me to set myself apart from you as your manager. That might be better in the long term.
( gregor might actually be one of the few sinners that actually respects them as manager without further convincing, so dante doesn't consider this for him, but rather for the others. )
Though... I think this is a good idea. Surely we can find other activities and amenities to reward your actions with. Ideally nothing too extravagant or expensive, considering how much grumbling Vergilius does about our funding... A decent night's sleep in a hotel does sound nice. Though... we will have to take certain... precautions.
( ie: putting people in rooms least likely to either cause property destruction or ... get along a little too well? that would just cause strange problems down the line, wouldn't it... )
If you want them to be something I might be able to participate in as well... I will keep that in mind.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
the movers were like 5 hours late so it Wasn't Great, but it's over with now at least
( they don't think the sinners' memories of their first meeting out there were any more positive than dante's own recollections of it. )
Well... Maybe I can convince Vergilius and Charon to help me go get some ice cream for you all and bring it back to the bus. That way we can at least rule out the possibility of collateral damage.
But, yes. I will try to become a manager that you can relax around more often.
Though... I hope I will also become a manager that some of the others can perhaps relax around less often.
( they pause for a moment or two before continuing. this... has been a subject that has come up many times in dante's thoughts, as they try to decide what is the best path for them to go down, if they want to improve. if they want to properly lead these sinners into the hearts of their own tragedies, so they can acquire the Golden Boughs and achieve their goal. )
Gregor...
I'm not sure if it was correct for me to push you, at that time. I thought it was... But perhaps I shouldn't make assumptions of what is best for you, knowing as little as I do about you.
There were more factors at play in the District 4 branch than just your own. I don't want you to feel as though the burden of blame is entirely yours. We all shared in it. Does that make sense?
what in tarnation......at least you can enjoy your new place at LAST tho X(
Aaaaaaand this is why. Because you're a good pal. Just have to figure out the management styles for everyone, which can't be easily done, but I think you can do it. We've only been all together for a little while, alright? But we're already pulling together decently. That's all up to you, I think.
[Time for Gregor to take in a good, deep breath of his own, and try to muster back all the gusto he'd had prior. Motivation's something he needs to provide more of, if he wants to make up for what he's done.]
So don't worry any about pushing me that time. I needed it. I knew you were right even before you said it, but I needed someone to make that decision for me when push came to shove. All that matters is we had some successes, I guess. None of them are going to feel great after what we're going to go through, but we're going to keep getting boughs. Like hell Hermann's getting any more. Got it?
yes!! all's well that ends well
good enough to concern them. in a world like this, those hearts usually only get hurt. )
Though we've continued to face hardships and setbacks, our success rate has only improved as we've moved forward.
I know that you sinners are doing your best to apply yourselves and fight harder, when necessary... So, yes, I will continue to try to learn how best to support you.
This road seems like it is going to be a long and difficult one. We should be prepared for a marathon, not a sprint.
( dante already regrets having broached this topic, perhaps thinking it might have been better to discuss in person. but they do believe it should be spoken about. gregor carries much on his shoulders... and since it seems inevitable that they will run into hermann and her lackeys again one day, they should try to be prepared. )
Have you heard of a "Pyrrhic victory"?
Given what each of you must face to make it to the Boughs, I believe results like this — like what we saw in District 10, but especially what happened in District 11 — will be most common.
What matters most is that, in the end, we succeed in collecting the Boughs. And in keeping them away from those like Hermann.
But it also matters how we walk away from these victories, or these defeats. We will need to recover quickly and not allow them to dictate our futures.
...Which is why I think the chicken kabobs worked out well.
Perhaps we should have a tradition of something like that every time we complete a mission?
no subject
Hey, doesn't it get annoying when we do all this stuff related to food, and you can't actually get involved? We can make it a new tradition, but a tradition would take some of the Pyrrhic out of the victory, I think. I mean, it's been a long slog every time, but I felt a lot better with Rodya's haul of chips and Sinclair's chicken kabobs, than all of us just sitting there in silence after we fudged the bough retrieval the first time.
And even marathon runners get to relax after each marathon they take part in, before they train again. We should brainstorm on things that might appeal to even less food-motivated Sinners, you know? That way we all get the serotonin from a battle hard-fought. Though all my immediate ideas are probably ideas that Vergilius would immediately shoot down; who'd even give us prestige at this point, right??
But I think you should get to participate too, since you go through it every time we get roughed up too much. Maybe a night spent sleeping in actual beds or something.
no subject
It's not annoying at all. This is something I want to do for you guys, after all.
You need to eat, even if I don't anymore. And a part of me enjoys it as well, when you are all content with a meal.
And... I'm not sure. I am still trying to decide if it is better for me to set myself apart from you as your manager. That might be better in the long term.
( gregor might actually be one of the few sinners that actually respects them as manager without further convincing, so dante doesn't consider this for him, but rather for the others. )
Though... I think this is a good idea. Surely we can find other activities and amenities to reward your actions with. Ideally nothing too extravagant or expensive, considering how much grumbling Vergilius does about our funding...
A decent night's sleep in a hotel does sound nice.
Though... we will have to take certain... precautions.
( ie: putting people in rooms least likely to either cause property destruction or ... get along a little too well? that would just cause strange problems down the line, wouldn't it... )
If you want them to be something I might be able to participate in as well... I will keep that in mind.