Snakes. Why did it have to be snakes?

[chalicejoker]

Heads up--if you run into Teruo, Kinji's infiltration, some kind of yellow sea snake mermaid--be really damn careful. He's a menace.

Asshole goaded me into what I thought was a spar, but then he started singing, and it...

[Hajime's mental voice trails off in embarassment here before picking up again.]

Look, I'm not proud of it, but it's hard to get me to back down from a fight. And what he did, it...I just stopped fighting. Didn't even think to defend myself. He kept it up long enough to hit me with a cheap sucker punch.

[The irritation is just coming off his mental voice here.]

He also said several times that if I was a warrior, I should be sticking closer to the boat and protecting my school--I'm still not sure if that was a threat or not. I wouldn't put anything past him.

...and if you do end up talking to him and he mentions someone named Chalice, that's me--I'm not about to go by my real name in the same world as the Bando, even if I'm a fish this time around.

Comments

[shiroganeheir]

We all might want to take a stock of who is saying they are what.

I am mostly taking the part of a young navigator. I think.

[theflyingone]

Your mental armor needs to be stronger, then. If Claudia is right, this is not the sort of thing one needs to constantly keep on guard. It should just protect you without you having to think about it.

[Jumping to action]

[professorwolf]

[Lyall is in liminal space when Hajime portals in there, by the pool of statue tears, because he's aware by now that it's there and it's a convenient place for merpeople to appear. He has earplugs in hand, and a stern expression on his face.]

[chalicejoker]

He doesn't have to be gone gone, just...incapacitated.

I just don't want him to try that again.

[chalicejoker]

Yeah, if we start telling conflicting stories, that's going to be a bit of a problem...

I figure I can cover by saying I don't pay much attention to what the humans on the boat are doing, so there's that. But navigator? That's good to know.

[chalicejoker]

Yeah, I...need to work on that. I can only do a little.

[chalicejoker]

[Hajime appears in the pool of tears with a splash, swims over to the side of the pool to take the earplugs, and at least has the good graces to look a little sheepish. A little splash behind him indicates that Ryo the mantis shrimp has made it over as well.]

Thanks.

[He'll put them in a little bag on his belt, right next to the kama he's got hanging there. Totally harmless mermaid with those handheld sickles he's toting around.]

[professorwolf]

[Not so fast. Lyall doesn't hand them over just like that. Instead, he keeps them in his hand, fingers curled over them, and says,]

I was serious about staying away from Kinji, Hajime.

[He may possibly be holding them hostage a little bit, at least until he's said his piece.]

[chalicejoker]

[Hajime freezes there and looks guilty.]

But if he tries something again...

[professorwolf]

[Lyall isn't budging just yet.]

I don't know how well these will work underwater, if there's a skin-vibration element of hearing Song or not-- or if any of the mermaids can manipulate water to take them out. It's a huge risk. If this magic can actually change your reactions, control you? We can't risk that happening, Hajime.

[chalicejoker]

But I'll be ready the next time.

[Even if he looks really uneasy at the word control.]

Altair said I just needed to up my psychic defenses too, I can...I can work on that. I can already do a little. I'll be prepared.

[theflyingone]

It is a sort of mystery to me as well.

[ Considering he only just found out that he might have some psychic resistance a day or so ago... ]

[venetianprince]

I worry about what that entails, caro... for now, let's just avoid him and try warming the rest of them up to us. Maybe if we can win them over, his own school will calm him down?

[professorwolf]

We don't know how much psychic protection protects against magic, Hajime. Being prepared doesn't necessarily mean he can't still control you. And I don't-- I don't think I'm Alpha enough to manage to cut through anything he could do.

[Conall could have probably ordered someone back to sanity and alertness, but he's not Conall. He's seriously worried about this, Hajime. That should be pretty obvious, both in his expression and across the pack bond.]

[thornsofmalkav]

Oh Jesus fucking Christ.

That was the Song of Calming all right.

[chalicejoker]

Yeah, I'm better with the more concrete stuff. This is...going to be a challenge.

[chalicejoker]

Somehow, I doubt it.

He's just that kind of asshole.

[chalicejoker]

I don't think he could control me, he just...he just stopped me.

[Even though stopping Hajime from fighting takes a lot more firepower than Hajime would care to admit.]

[chalicejoker]

You know what it is...do you know any way to counteract it?

[venetianprince]

Caro.

[The pout somehow carries in the single word.]

[chalicejoker]

I'm not going to do anything crazy.

[professorwolf]

And that was just his opening salvo, when he was playing with you and confident in his abilities. We don't know what else he can do. Until we know more about what we're up against and whether we can counter-act it, I need you to stay away from him. I not going to back down on this, Hajime.

[chalicejoker]

If he comes at me again, I don't want him thinking I'm scared.

[Same logic that led to a lot of useless fuss at the ball, really.]

[venetianprince]

You have to promise...!

[professorwolf]

Better him to think you scared than to think he can manipulate you, Hajime. Sometimes you have to retreat in order to be strong-- in order to win. It's called strategy.