[The Beckets as a family weren't really big on traditions. They didn't have to decorate the tree the same way every year or watch a certain movie together or have a picnic or go around the table giving thanks for whatever they were thankful for. Kinda hard to establish that kind of stuff when they were moving all the time, following Dad to his work sites and living in countries that didn't celebrate Thanksgiving or Fourth of July.
But Raleigh's gathered a few of his own, over the years. Just one in particular that's really stuck-- the anniversary of his brother's death he gets utterly plastered. Like cheers to you, Yance, for dying and leaving him to stumble through life on his own. Like he has to drink to keep himself from crying, which he always ends up doing anyway. Like any other day he can say no to the shitty beer and use his ration cards on shitty food like a good boy but this day, this one day, he throws the rulebook out the window and becomes a little more like the Raleigh that died that night.
He doesn't see how saving the world means that he should do any different this year. If anything, he think he needs something a little stronger than just beer, because he's been answering questions all day, about how he feels now that it's done, about Mako, about the future of the Jaeger program, about everything and do they not get what today is? Does it not register to the rest of them because it's March 1st and not February 29th?
It must not because no one asks him a single question about his brother and that's such a double edged sword right now he's not sure if he wants to laugh or cry.
(don't get cocky)
He ducks out early, on purpose, leaves Mako there high and dry and doesn't feel guilty about that until it's hours later and he's lost in the city, missing a shoe and nursing a bruised and battered face. That's the other tradition, that he has to pick a fight with someone, has to beat the shit out of some name and faceless person because he's still so mad at everything that the only thing that makes sense is to solve it with his fists.
(yancy yancy yancy)
It doesn't fix anything. He's starting to sober up and he's not at all sure where the hotel is and that silly little realization is actually what breaks him this year, brings tears to the corner of his eyes. And it's just a slippery slope from there, really, to where he can't be bothered to walk on anymore, he's going to sit down right here on the curb and press the heels of his hands against his eyes.]
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But Raleigh's gathered a few of his own, over the years. Just one in particular that's really stuck-- the anniversary of his brother's death he gets utterly plastered. Like cheers to you, Yance, for dying and leaving him to stumble through life on his own. Like he has to drink to keep himself from crying, which he always ends up doing anyway. Like any other day he can say no to the shitty beer and use his ration cards on shitty food like a good boy but this day, this one day, he throws the rulebook out the window and becomes a little more like the Raleigh that died that night.
He doesn't see how saving the world means that he should do any different this year. If anything, he think he needs something a little stronger than just beer, because he's been answering questions all day, about how he feels now that it's done, about Mako, about the future of the Jaeger program, about everything and do they not get what today is? Does it not register to the rest of them because it's March 1st and not February 29th?
It must not because no one asks him a single question about his brother and that's such a double edged sword right now he's not sure if he wants to laugh or cry.
(don't get cocky)
He ducks out early, on purpose, leaves Mako there high and dry and doesn't feel guilty about that until it's hours later and he's lost in the city, missing a shoe and nursing a bruised and battered face. That's the other tradition, that he has to pick a fight with someone, has to beat the shit out of some name and faceless person because he's still so mad at everything that the only thing that makes sense is to solve it with his fists.
(yancy yancy yancy)
It doesn't fix anything. He's starting to sober up and he's not at all sure where the hotel is and that silly little realization is actually what breaks him this year, brings tears to the corner of his eyes. And it's just a slippery slope from there, really, to where he can't be bothered to walk on anymore, he's going to sit down right here on the curb and press the heels of his hands against his eyes.]