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

[triggerhappytraitor]

He's a Siren.

[[Very tense, but hey, he's actually using the network! Be gentle.]]

[chalicejoker]

Makes sense with the way he had to have been planning that. Bastard needs to fight me directly if he's going to try to fight me at all...

[triggerhappytraitor]

He won't.

He's addicted to Song. Any excuse to use that power for what he thinks is the good of his people, he'll take.

No matter what the consequence.

[[So much worry. So much uncomfortable 'been there done that' worry]]

[chalicejoker]

...I see you ran into him again.

And he'd better worry about the consequences, because now I'm really pissed off.

[triggerhappytraitor]

Are you trying to escalate this out of control?

He can create Songs that do whatever he wants, will use them without hesitation, and already sees you as a threat. He's flat out told me he doesn't have morals.

[chalicejoker]

...I can get earplugs.

[triggerhappytraitor]

There is more at stake here than your pride, Hajime!

[chalicejoker]

I know that!

But if we're here to do something, and he's going to get in the way, then I'm not going to let him do that!

[triggerhappytraitor]

You've made it so he thinks you're a threat to his people finding safety!

[chalicejoker]

You're taking his side?

[triggerhappytraitor]

I'm not taking anyone's side, I'm trying to keep you from making things worse than you already have!

[chalicejoker]

He's the one who started it--how is this my fault?

[triggerhappytraitor]

It will be your fault if you keep going after him!

[professorwolf]

You've spoken with him? Kinji?

[Derailing from the bickering match, okay. That sounded important, and unlike with Feli who's already basically said everything about that conversation, Tachibana hasn't.]

What all did he say?

[triggerhappytraitor]

[[a small pause because no, he does not want to yell at Lyall, one moment, let him just... disengage from yelling mode]]

Yeah. He's second in command of his school. Doesn't really listen much to his leader despite saying he respects her. He thinks she's too soft.

[[can you see why he's abit worried here]]

[professorwolf]

[Why yes, yes he does. Lyall is getting more concerned by the minute.]

And this is the one Hajime is provoking and who can sing anyone into submission. Lovely.

Anything else? Any little thing he might have mentioned in passing might wind up being useful, whatever you can remember.

[triggerhappytraitor]

He said he can make a song for anything he needs it to do. [[There's a half sigh of "goddamnit, Hajime" there]]

He told me a bit about Song, and it's very clear he's addicted to it. He knows it's addicting, but says it "feels good" and that if you have that sort of power, why not use it?

He also said his crew is on high alert. I had gotten caught in a current that was going to take me right by his ship-- the Pulao, and he said it wouldn't have been a good idea to go by it.

[[He trying to think what else would be useful to know...]]

We've spoken a few times so far. I think he does regular patrols of the area...

[professorwolf]

How did you get on the subject of songs? Did he try to use one on you?

[triggerhappytraitor]

No. He was having withdrawal symptoms, and I had asked him what was wrong.

[professorwolf]

Well, now I'm curious what withdrawal symptoms are for magical singing.

[triggerhappytraitor]

Similar to other types of withdrawal, headaches, irritability and the need to use the addictive substance as soon as possible.

Our second encounter he was having them more strongly than our next, and he hadn't waited until I was out of range before using a Song on himself then.

[professorwolf]

And with something you create yourself, there's no means of going through detox, as it were, unless you had the willpower for it.

[And he's guessing Teluo doesn't, even if he felt the desire to wean himself off.]

This can definitely be problematic. I'm tempted to have someone try to give him a cold so he can't sing properly. Can merpeople actually get colds?

[triggerhappytraitor]

I'm not sure. Though I'm not sure I'd want to find out the side effects of a Song sung badly...

[professorwolf]

Well, if he loses his voice entirely... ah, it wasn't a serious thought, anyway. The best thing we can do is make sure we won't be effected if he decides to Sing at us. Do you want earplugs, too?

[triggerhappytraitor]

If you would, please.

...and a few extras.

[[Even if he's pretty sure Teruo won't use them himself, he still will want to offer...]]