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

[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!

[chalicejoker]

I'm only going to go after him when I've prepared.

At that point, it won't matter.

[triggerhappytraitor]

And then what.

[chalicejoker]

...then I'll punch his fangs in.

[triggerhappytraitor]

And that's as far as you've thought it out, isn't it?

As long as you get your revenge, you don't care about the consequences.

Pathetic.

[chalicejoker]

I...I'm...

Dammit, I am trying here. What are the consequences of him thinking he can just do whatever he likes, huh? He doesn't have to worry about that, but I do?

[This just happened, he's already angry, he is in no mood to be rational right now...]

[triggerhappytraitor]

"Whatever he likes" is seeing to the defence of his school. He expects that our group is as organized and unified as his, and if he thinks all of us are likely to act in the same way you are, he won't hesitate to do whatever he sees fit to defend his people.

Something I would think you would understand.

[chalicejoker]

Picking a fight with me in the middle of nowhere was not in defense of his school, it was just him being an asshole.

[Ignoring the parts of that he doesn't like, don't mind him...]

[triggerhappytraitor]

You'd already made it pretty clear you were a threat the first time you encountered him.

[chalicejoker]

Because I didn't want him coming after our people!

[triggerhappytraitor]

And what the hell do you think it going to happen if you keep going after him, if not that?!

You can't intimidate someone like that. You should know that. You're the same damned way!

[chalicejoker]

I'm nothing like him!

[Because Kinji is an asshole and Hajime doesn't like him and Teruo is an asshole and Hajime doesn't like him, therefore they are nothing alike, lalalalala not listening...]

[triggerhappytraitor]

Lying to yourself doesn't become you, Hajime Aikawa.

[chalicejoker]

[Can you truly ragequit a psychic conversation? Because that is what Hajime is trying to do right now.]