Talk About A Hothead

[tiger_ken]

[1]

So, there was a fight. Specifically, between the newly arrived Yuuya, and the slightly less newly arrived Ken. Whilst the exact source and reasoning behind the conflict is still sketchy at best, pretty much every witness has confirmed that it was Ken who ultimately threw the first punch. His injuries are also the lighter of the two - he got by mostly with some severe bruises, maybe slight bits of blood loss, but nothing too bad. Right now, he's resting in Alhambra's medical room, probably in need of something to wake him up...

[2]

Though if you prefer to wait, you can instead find him cuffed and in a cell in the Sakihama base, after he has waken up and shown he'll shrug off most of his injuries. He looks... drained, physically speaking, and is mostly taking to relaxing against the wall as he sits on the bed. Occasionally, he flings his hands forward, as if trying to do something with such a strange manner of pose, but nothing comes, and he just gives dejected sighs. The guards'll let you in if you ask nicely, and aren't the same dude who pissed him off to begin with.

Comments

Re: 2

[tiger_ken]

He was a racist bastard who deserved every word.

[The way he averts his gaze, even he knows that its not quite what Mizuki meant.]

[empress_without_a_throne]

I was going to tackle another subject first but if you're bringing that up, congratulations. You've forced my hand.

[And with that she leans in close.]

If you're going to get into fights with every schoolyard bully spewing crap, you're going to just be making yourself and Solaris as a whole look worse.

[tiger_ken]

Ah yes, 'schoolyard bully'. The perfect material for test pilots and soldiers. Truly, it'll be our reputation that suffers if such gets out.

[empress_without_a_throne]

It will when you throw the first punch!

[tiger_ken]

I had my reasons! Don't say you wouldn't do the same if you were in-!

[Ken gets to his feet, but then pauses as he realises that what he's saying... isn't exactly possible.]

[empress_without_a_throne]

You can't even bring yourself to finish that sentence.

[Not a question. A statement.]

At any rate, Yuuya's problems are his own. If it leads to him causing difficulties on the battlefield, then we'll have someone in the upper ranks deal with it. Your own problems led to this situation, Ken, and since you're my responsibility I have to do this... as much as I don't want to play babysitter for you.

You're going to have to accept that not everyone here's going to like you, or even entire groups of people, right away. Acting the way you were is just going to ensure they keep that low opinion of you.

[tiger_ken]

I don't care if he doesn't like me. That I can deal with, and after this, kinda expect.

[The implication is obvious, and Ken sits back down.]

There was other stuff you wanted to discuss?

[empress_without_a_throne]

Well first of all...

... How do you feel about your parents?

[tiger_ken]

They can go to hell.

[...Blunt.]

[empress_without_a_throne]

So why mention them positively when you got into that fistfight? Like you said, they were the ones who defeated the Admiral Blackheart and the rest of the Ebon Corsairs.

Considering my ancestry, I should be the one saying they should go to Hell.

[tiger_ken]

I said their legacy was great. Which it is. I mean, saved the planet and all that.

[His eyes flit about.]

But themselves... damn them both. I'll prove I'm better than both of 'em combined.

[empress_without_a_throne]

Not with that attitude you won't.

Besides... what'd they even do to get you like this? As far as Solaris's official records went, they retired after dealing with the Corsairs so they could raise you. You're going to have to give me some context here.

[tiger_ken]

How does 'abandoned and left me to deal with the rest of the family' sound? Oh, for bonus points, 'family' means two rivalling ninja clans whose only reason not to go back to the old feud - which many of them would still like blood for - is because I exist?

[empress_without_a_throne]

Honestly, the fact that the love two people have for you can give pause to a feud between rival clans is a point in their favor.

And people like that wouldn't just throw you to the lions. How did they come about to abandon you?

[tiger_ken]

If by 'love' you mean their sheer power and skill, sure. Being pilots for Solaris forced their ki usage to levels no one had really seen for centuries...

[Ken shakes his head, dismissive.]

They were just gone, really. Came home after running out the previous night - had an argument - and poof, no more sign of 'em. No note, no explanation, no 'oh we'll be right back'. Not as if it'd be a happy family for the last few years anyhow... If they could just walk away, they would.

[empress_without_a_throne]

Ken.

What was the argument about? And answer it in a way that doesn't make me have to keep asking questions. Because honestly, with the way you feel about them I wouldn't blame them for up and leaving after you up and ran away from home.

[tiger_ken]

It was the only way to get away from their insane idea of what makes a good household! I didn't want to keep being ambushed for training I didn't care about anymore! To have to double check my food wasn't poisoned! I didn't want to be a ninja! I wanted to be a freaking teenager!

[empress_without_a_throne]

[Oh boy. The puzzles were falling into place.]

Ken... I don't think your parents left to be jerks. My own parents had a lot of learning to do while raising me, and I came halfway-assembled, so to speak.

I'm sorry for what you had to go through... but with that fight, maybe they just finally realized what they'd been doing wrong and got really ashamed of themselves. I had plenty of arguments with my parents too, and I'd like to think they were still pretty good to me in the long run.

[tiger_ken]

If that were the case, I think a damned note saying 'we suck, sorry' wouldn't be impossible. Or they could have left me with something to actually live off. I've got no money, no ID save for the one Solaris gave me, nothing that would have helped support me whilst they were gone.

[empress_without_a_throne]

I didn't say they knew best, just that they were ashamed of themselves and didn't know what to do.

Besides, you were doing fine for yourself here... up until you felt the urge to pick a fight with someone because "oh no, they hate Japan!"

[tiger_ken]

Yeah, uh, I'm not giving them credit for that. I spent months just wandering around, trying to get by, before wondering if Solaris even existed anymore. Just my luck you guys hadn't moved base since the old days...

[empress_without_a_throne]

Months...

[Okay, there was definitely going to need a very long talk with Ken's parents whenever they showed up again.]

Ken, until we get the fully story what happened could be anything. And when they show up, fine. I'll be right there with you chewing them out.

But look where being angry about everything because of them got you. Literally.

[tiger_ken]

I'm not angry about everything!

[He yells.]

Just racist assholes and asshole parents! And I only ever brought up one because of the other.

[empress_without_a_throne]

Then if you want to make something of yourself, prove it by having your temper under control. You're frustrated? Fine. How about channeling that in a way that doesn't get you locked up in a cell and make the Unity Group look like an unruly bunch of punks.

You said you wanted to surpass your parents and that's the first step.

[tiger_ken]

Oh, so its gone from Solaris looking bad, to the whole Unity Group looking terrible. Never knew my reputation went so far.

[Ken chuckles to himself a bit, as he leans back.]

But I will surpass them.