Dreams II
[Day 9]
["You want to do what?!"
"Not want to. Going to. I'm gonna join the army. Fight for Shin Makoku."
"Your mother wanted better for you."
"..."
"She wanted you to get a good job. Have a family. Fall in love."
"...to be happy."
"Yes. She wanted you to be happy."
"The army makes me happy."
"Why? You're almost a man now, Yozak. In a few more years, you'll be ready to move on and start your own family. You've been an apprentice under Master Gropius for fifteen years already! You have potential as a carpenter, child. You could have a very fine trade in the village if you'd stick with it! Why do you want to throw that chance away?"
"Because being a carpenter is boring."
"Is that what you think being in the army is? All glamour and fame and glory?"
"Well, yeah."
"You may look like a man, but you'll always be a little boy at heart...look at yourself. A half-blood from the Nameless Village, raised by a foster family. No money or name to speak of. Do you really think that you'll stand a chance against pure-blooded Mazoku soldiers?"
"I'll hold my own."
"Why? What makes you think you could possibly deserve attention? The Mazoku hate us, Yozak. They will never accept you, no matter how good you are."
"Then I'll just have to be the best!"
"You know, I knew you mother, but I never met your father...do you know you're just as ridiculously stubborn as she was?"
"Yep."
"Yozak...I know you're stubborn enough to become the best at anything you set your mind to. I know you can. But in this country...in any country...a half-blood cannot be the best. The world doesn't want half-bloods who are the best. Stay here. You can be happy here, too. Don't make your life more difficult by trying to swim up a waterfall."
"..."
"............you're not going to listen to me."
"No."
"Damn your stubborn human heart, Yozak........oh, gods. Fine, fine. How do you plan to enlist?"
"...I...I have a...a friend...in the army already. He'll help me."
"Do you trust this friend?"
"With my life."
"You don't seem hesitant about offering it up, at least."
"He taught me to fight. He wants me to go with him, I know it."
"How do you know you can trust him? Is he from any family of reputation? What's his name?"
"...Conrad Weller."]
[Yozak wakes with a start as the door opens.]
["You want to do what?!"
"Not want to. Going to. I'm gonna join the army. Fight for Shin Makoku."
"Your mother wanted better for you."
"..."
"She wanted you to get a good job. Have a family. Fall in love."
"...to be happy."
"Yes. She wanted you to be happy."
"The army makes me happy."
"Why? You're almost a man now, Yozak. In a few more years, you'll be ready to move on and start your own family. You've been an apprentice under Master Gropius for fifteen years already! You have potential as a carpenter, child. You could have a very fine trade in the village if you'd stick with it! Why do you want to throw that chance away?"
"Because being a carpenter is boring."
"Is that what you think being in the army is? All glamour and fame and glory?"
"Well, yeah."
"You may look like a man, but you'll always be a little boy at heart...look at yourself. A half-blood from the Nameless Village, raised by a foster family. No money or name to speak of. Do you really think that you'll stand a chance against pure-blooded Mazoku soldiers?"
"I'll hold my own."
"Why? What makes you think you could possibly deserve attention? The Mazoku hate us, Yozak. They will never accept you, no matter how good you are."
"Then I'll just have to be the best!"
"You know, I knew you mother, but I never met your father...do you know you're just as ridiculously stubborn as she was?"
"Yep."
"Yozak...I know you're stubborn enough to become the best at anything you set your mind to. I know you can. But in this country...in any country...a half-blood cannot be the best. The world doesn't want half-bloods who are the best. Stay here. You can be happy here, too. Don't make your life more difficult by trying to swim up a waterfall."
"..."
"............you're not going to listen to me."
"No."
"Damn your stubborn human heart, Yozak........oh, gods. Fine, fine. How do you plan to enlist?"
"...I...I have a...a friend...in the army already. He'll help me."
"Do you trust this friend?"
"With my life."
"You don't seem hesitant about offering it up, at least."
"He taught me to fight. He wants me to go with him, I know it."
"How do you know you can trust him? Is he from any family of reputation? What's his name?"
"...Conrad Weller."]
[Yozak wakes with a start as the door opens.]