Chapter 432: Background to the Conversation.
*Bing-Bong*
Please note that the following chapter is technically running in parallel with another chapter, literally the one right before this one.
For the full picture though, please read this in chronological order, or if you have a wonky enough attention span, feel free to open both this chapter and the next in order to see how this would go in real time.
Have fun.
*Bing-Bong*
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“Shit, shit, shit!,” Spring Brawler cursed as he tried his damndest to reel in the catch before whoever it was entering the hallway had a chance to see him.
At this point in time, the other kaijin and already transformed into their much smaller figure modes and had essentially ditched him to suffer from his fate. Well, more accurately they hid themselves on the side of the ship railing that was facing outward towards the water. Evidently, the fact that they were so close by yet not helping in the slightest, made things significantly more frustrating for Spring Brawler.
[Come on! No help?!]
[Sorry, Spring,] Nepherage apologized
[It’s…the rules…,] Frosttusk added.
[You’ll be fine, just don’t change back,] Hurricroak unhelpfully advised.
[Push come to shove, I’ll cut the line,] Razorstella offered.
[Thank you, Sister Razor!]
Spring Brawler may have chosen to play this game of social chicken, it didn’t mean he had to like the outcome.
From the corner of his eye, Spring Brawler could see the Zhen clan member get closer by the second. Unfortunately for him, that was the exact same moment in which the fish he was trying to reel suddenly became a lot more lively!
“What the hell is putting up such a big-bwah!”
“Hold up, kid! I got-holy shit!”
In a matter of seconds, Spring Brawler was knocked off his feet and almost sent plummeting into the ocean below. Thankfully though, a pair of hands suddenly grabbed his ankles.
A part of him was curious on how he got out muscled, but most of his mind him was freaking out over how he got out muscled in the first place.
Out of panic, Spring Brawler almost turned back into his kaijin form so that he stretch himself out in order to get a better foothold, maybe use his natural tensile strength to pull back harder, but then he saw who was holding onto his ankles.
‘Is that the ringmaster’s grandpa?!’
And proceeded to freeze up in his human form.
“What the hell did you hook?!,” Zhen Shi called out.
“I don’t know!,” Spring Brawler nearly cried.
Out of sight of both their lord’s grandfather and their unfortunate companion, the kaijin were busy trying to salvage the situation.
[Oh balls, ] Hurricroak cursed, [we might have to intervene.]
[The fish trying to drown Spring Brawler or the impending awkward conversation?,] Nepherage asked.
[Yes.]
[Understandable…]
[Razorstella?]
[On it.]
Razorstella crouched down against the railing’s ground and began to circulate her aether into her legs. It didn’t take her too long to charge up her legs, but she wanted to make sure he got the angle right.
[And…leap!]
In the blink of an eye, Razorstella launched herself towards the line and sliced it in two with a sweeping kick.
Normally such an act would be rather eye-catching, but Razorstella was so small and fast in this moment, that she managed to perform her kick without anyone being the wiser.
[What the hell?]
Granted, it also gave her an opportunity to see that whatever Spring Brawler had attempted to fish out of the water was significantly larger than anticipated, and a touch more…humanoid. She made a mental note to inform the director later about this anomaly as she returned to the other kaijin.
[Good job, Razor.]
[Twas nothing, Nepherage.]
“What the fuck was that?”
[Oooh, looks like you came back right on time.]
Just as Razorstella returned to the side of the other kaijin, Zhen Shi and Spring Brawler had tumbled into a wall and were now recouping their breath.
Evidently, it didn’t cross the mind of the kaijin that there was something in the water that had almost overpowered the strongest person their lord knew, but that might have also been due to Spring Brawler asking for help.
[Guys, I know it’s the rules of the game, but-]
[Spring Bro, relax!,] Hurricroak interrupted, [due to the special circumstances of this particular conversation, the four of us are going to help you with talking to him.]
[Really?!]
[Really,] Nepherage confirmed, [now, remember your manners and thank the patriarch for saving your life.]
[Okay!]
“Thanks for the help, Patriarch Zhen Shi.”
“No problem at all my…hold on…”
[Oh crap, he’s getting suspicious, what did I do wrong?!]
[You accidentally said his name, despite him not knowing you know his name,] Nepherage explained, [he never officially seen this human form of yours.]
“How did you know my name? I don’t think we’ve met until just now,” Zhen Shi asked, unaware of the mental turmoil he was cussing to his conversation partner.
Spring Brawler was just about to answer with “Milord told me, he instructed mẹ to keep an eye on his family to make sure they’re okay”, luckily, Hurricroak had a better idea for a lie.
[Wait! You’re gonna need to replace some words and add some details!]
[Like what??]
[First, replace “milord” with “my captain”, explain that it was part of a crew meeting and try to make it sound like you were part of the crew before we accidentally turned it into a steamship.]
[Uh…okay.]
“Huh? Oh, uh…m-my captain told me about you. Part of a briefing a few days back about who was going to be a guest upon this ship. Well…back when the ship had sails and not… paddles.” Emphasizing his point, the boy proceeded to flap his arms a bit to mimick a paddling motion.
That’s… a reasonable answer.”
[Yes! He bought it!]
“Alright then, what’s your name, boy?”
[Shit!]
[Wait! Can’t he use the name we used back in Pearl Tusk?,] Razorstella suggested.
[I forget what it was!,] Spring Brawler mentally cried.
[Crap, I’m not good with names,] Nepherage groaned in frustration, [wait what about “Springer”?]
[That’s a surname!,] Razorstella protested
[What…about…Sawyer?,] Frosttusk suggested
[That works!,] Hurricroak exclaimed.
“My name? It’s Sawyer…Springer. Sawyer Springer.”
[Oh I just realized how weird that name sounds verbally,] Hurricroak griped.
“Sawyer…Springer? Hmmm.”
[Did….he…buy…it?]
[I don’t-wait…he’s standing up…and he’s presenting his hand for Spring Brawler to take…]
“Well then, it’s nice to formally meet you, Mister Springer. My name is Zhen Shi.”
[Yes, two for two!]
[What are you waiting for?! Take his hand and lift yourself up!]
“Thank you, sir.”
“You’re welcome.”
The kaijin kept watch as Spring Brawler and Zhen Shi both got to their feet.
While nothing was being said verbally, all the kaijin couldn’t help but feel an intense amount of dread pressing down on them. One wrong peep out of any of them and they’d be in a whole heap of trouble.
[Wait, why are we being sneaky again? They know we exist already, don’t they? I mean all of y’all got shot into some of their heads,] Razorstella pointed out.
[As puppets and enigmatic spirits, not as our sexy monstrous selves,] Hurricroak explained, [but anyways, it is just me or does our lord’s patriarch look glum?]
[Huh?]
As soon as the kaijin stopped worrying about their own stealthiness, the four of them noticed that Patriarch Zhen Shi looked a bit sad. The kind of sad that comes from remembering past mistakes.
[Full of…regrets…]
[Maybe…,] Nepherage observed, [Spring, would you mind asking him what’s wrong?]
“Hmm? Is something wrong?”
“Huh? Oh. Nothing, it’s just…it’s an issue that you’ll become more intimate with as you get older, more specifically, when you get to my age.”
[Middle aged?,] Hurricroak joked.
“Middle aged?,” Spring Brawler asked seriously.
“No. I mean…oh right, I look younger now than what I actually am. I keep forgetting that…”
[Oh shit! He’s coming over!]
[Quickly! Move!]
As Zhen Shi approached the ship’s railing, the kaijin in mini form began to move as quickly and as quietly as possible until they were at least three feet away to the left of him. Knowing he had to help keep the attention of of his smaller companions, Spring Brawler took the initiative to lean on the railing too, in the opposite direction of the tiny kaijin.
Unfortunately for Spring Brawler, this meant getting embroiled in even more conversation.
“Sawyer, how old are you?”
“Me? I’m uh…”
[Crap! How long has it been since Spring was made into a proto?,] Hurricroak asked while trying to wrack her brain.
[Two weeks after me so…six weeks? I think? Damnit, we need a clock kaijin!,] Razorstella cursed.
[Just say you’re sixteen,] Nepherage suggested.
“…six…teen, last I checked.”
“Last you checked?”
[Base…it…off…harvesting…season…]
“Don’t really know my birthday so I keep track based on the harvesting seasons. I think I was born around…barely season?”
“Ah. Old school, got it,” Zhen Shi nodded in understanding.
[Wait, why would he ask about Spring’s age?]
“Well…I have a couple of grandkids around your age. Maybe a touch older or a bit younger here and there, but still.”
[Oh, that’s why.]
[Ask him if you’d think you’d get along with them,] Hurricroak suggested, [old folks like to try and force their grandkids to make nice.]
“Really? Think I’d get along with any of them?”
“I…think so.”
“You think so?”
[There’s…the…regret…,] Frosttusk rumbled while his body began to subtly glow. The other kaijin noticed this happening, but decided to save the question about why this happen for Logos and Pathos.
Right now, the kaijin had a feeling this old fellow was about to spill his heart out to them and they didn’t want to miss a word. Understandable, since they were beings made of emotions anyways.
“I can only say ‘I think so’, because despite my over eighty or so years of life, I barely know how to interact with any of my children let alone my grandchildren. I barely know anything about them beyond a certain point. That sort of thing was my wife’s duty moreso than my own and she ..well…damn, and here I thought I had already grieved over her enough. Why am I telling you any of this? I barely know you as is!”
Zhen Shi slumped over as his shoulders felt heavier with all of these revelations he had just shared with Spring Brawler.
[Well that’s fucking heavy,] Razorstella noted, [but I think this might serve as a good excuse for Spring Brawler to get out of dodge but stating he’s underqualified for this kind of emotional baggage.]
[I think the term is trauma.]
[You know what I mean.]
This moment was actually a very good excuse to try and bail, but for reasons not even he understood, Spring Brawler decided to wing it with a simple question.
“Why not?”
“Huh?”
All it took was two words, and now everybody was thrown for a loop.
[That wasn’t part of the script.]
[Think… he’s… ad-libbing…?]
[No…I think he’s learning.]
