engage_the_enemy | [IC] Inbox!

[Well, he's stuck up for Mana on the network, one day he'd have to make good on that and give her powers a chance himself! Otherwise, he'd be full of it.

Nothing seems to happen with the charm no matter how much he concentrates, however. Really, he would have liked to see what culminated -- again, if anything did -- but maybe Crow's gotten it already?

Which...is apparently bad. BECAUSE CROW SEEMS MAD.

He's just going to feign innocence until Crow tells him exactly what happened because oh. Mana, what did you do? What did he do?]

what are you talking about?

there are only 2 ppl who know wat pearson looks like
its not the other person
that leaves just u

yes, i havent forgotten. that witch showed your memories but that doesnt explain what you mean! honestly, whatever it is, i didnt mean it that way i promise

then what the hell did u mean 2 do
if ur gonna get back at me
dont involve mana

[because who else could someone recreate exactly that moment? the other choice would be the gods but he likes to think shulk isn't that stupid.]

[That would be the icing on the cake, wouldn't it? Hey Crow, I asked the fog god to make this for you on express, you're welcome xoxo.

But really, just tell him what he did, Crow! How can he apologize like this?]

i didnt want to get back at you at all! what makes you think that? whatever happened, it was an accident. i only asked for her help

[nope. if shulk wants to know the results of his meddling he's gonna have to pry it out of crow]

help with *what* shulk

[Shulk has to pry an answer out of Crow and maybe, suddenly realizes this must be what it's like for Crow to talk to him most of the time.

Maybe.]

help with you look, talking to you, it's impossible. anything i say, you're not happy with. no matter how i explain myself, or what i do, or how much i say it. like now! clearly, i must have intended to hurt you, and nothing i say will change your mind youre just going to be mad at me, so whats the point? i apologize, for what its worth.

it was a body pillow
with pearson
in his last dying moments
i woke up with *that* next to me

[the fact it's also his birthday is kind of irrelevant, considering how little him and his brothers celebrated birthdays]

of course im gonna b mad!!

idg y u need manas help w/ me
u get some boneheaded ideas
bt in the end its ur life not mine
ur free 2 do wat u want
y would u need me 2 be happy w/ wat u say

oh i dont know what to say. thats not what i was thinking of at all, i dont know what happened

[Mana was a mistake. Shulk is a mistake.]

but i dont get how you can say that when youve come by plenty of times to argue with me about something. its like i cant do anything right, to you i just...feel like you dont get me and conversely, that i dont get you. its really frustrating. i guess maybe i was mad, then. and whatever i was thinking came out very wrong because of it

ill accept ur apology 4 the pillow
bc it sounds like a dumb mistake

[this is what happens when shulk does stuff on his own apparently.]

but i dont c the problem
ur u and im me
we agree on the important stuff
isnt that good enuf

thats what i was saying! it was an accident, of course i wouldnt do something like this on purpose

[WHY DON'T YOU EVER LISTEN TO HIM, CROW. :(]

and do we really, Crow? before this place, i always felt like i could move forward with everyone, because we all wanted the same thing here its like...being pulled in so many different directions. even people youre close to, if you dont see eye to eye, suddenly, youre feelings are wrong, at best. at worst, youre on your own.

[SURE IS A GOOD THING HE DOESN'T KNOW ABOUT YUZU. WHAT IS IT WITH SYNCHRO ADULTS DISOWNING HER.]

i dont know. i guess i feel like theres too many points where we dont agree, that makes me wonder how we'll ever escape if everyone experiences as much friction as we do. in a way, i feel like im back to square one. like you have no confidence in me and nothing i do will prove myself as capable as you are and i dont have a Monado to change that like i did before

ur stupid if u think every1 wants the same thing

[proving shulks point but who cares]

u dont even understand wat its like here
wat its like 4 every1 else
and every1 else
they dont care about going home any more

thats it then? youre just going to insult me now? fine. but you cant say that i dont understand. i know exactly what this place is capable of. i know not everyone wants to go home. but more often than not, ive met people who do, or who want to find somewhere better, at the very least. i promised we could find that much, and been promised the very same. and what about Yusei? he misses your home as much as you do, you should know that. you should know that better than anyone

u cant say u understand
u dont hunt
u dont have 2 decide 2 kill some1 every week
u get 2 live w/o getting ur hands dirty
u get 2 pretend ur not a killer bc yusei and me do the killing 4 u
u cant understand wat its like 4 the rest of us

he doesnt
hes 2 busy playing fake stardust 2 care about going back 2 the real 1
hed rather stay a people eater
than go back 2 being human

i never asked for anyone to do it for me i never i cant do it, Crow. maybe youre right, maybe i dont understand, but i dont want to either. i dont want to know what it takes to kill someone who'd never done me any wrong. i dont know how you two can handle it. see, though? my choice is less valid than yours, even when youre helping me make it. wheres the sense in that? and Yusei... no. i refuse to believe it. he talks about your city like he thinks about it everyday. he doesnt want to keep hurting people youre lying

u dont hav 2 do the killing 2 understand
i dont care that u get 2 avoid it bc of us
if u dont hav 2 kill
thats good
bt hav u ever been w/ some1 while they hunted?
where were u when fiora was upset over killing some1
did u even know shes had 2 start?
or were u 2 busy w/ ur machines 2 even notice
or mayb u did bt didnt want 2 deal w/ it
so dont tell me u understand wat its like living here
u cant
not when u dont even want 2 try

ask him then
ask him if he likes being a gargoyle
ask him if hed go home if given the chance
hed rather b a dragon than stop the killing
if he wants 2 stay in this hellhole so much
then fine
im going home
with or without him

i didnt know

[A poor excuse, since it was going to happen eventually. Shulk is torn on whether he should be mad that Crow would accuse him of not caring, or that he's right to assume Shulk doesn't want to deal with it.]

but what could i have done for her? this isnt something i can fix. there's nothing to do but treat her like i always have. she's not a monster to me, and neither are you and Yusei. im not going to acknowledge a choice none of you made, and keep making. and yet...youre just going to abandon Yusei like that, as if he's done worse? he's been here longer than you and me, maybe enough that you dont understand him, either but fine, go ahead and make him into another person you couldnt save. i still believe in him, and im gonna do what i can to help him find his way back ill prove you wrong

you take that back

[if crow was angry before, he's enraged now]

i bet you wouldnt say that to my face

dont give me that crap about not knowing
youve been here long enough to know SHES been here long enough
you cant even be there for fiora when shes suffering
only when shes 'okay'
and you expect me to believe you can help my brother!?
start facing the reality of this place
then ill believe you

yusei KNOWS we can be human again
human without the hunger
IM human now
thanks to mana
but hed rather keep killing
than give up his wings
if he doesnt change his mind before we find a way home
if none of us can change his mind
im going back to my kids
i wont leave them for any longer than i already have
yuseis an adult
he can do what he wants
my kids arent

im done here
ill see you round

[CROW'S WRONG.

Shulk would say this to his face, but with more immediate regret, especially if it got physical. As it stands, there's decent space between their screens, and impudence to go with that. ~~you will pay for your insolence~~]

i wont take it back because it's true but fine your kids are more important to you than anyone else here, you have a reason to go so maybe youre right. maybe the rest of us want to stay. i wonder what Fiora thinks, since youve spoken to her too. you havent said anything to suggest otherwise i guess you learned just like me, that you cant save everyone. i know that much, ive tried, long before this i hope we're in better standing when you decide to speak to me again, but i dont know i dont even know if youre reading this

[IC] Inbox!

<shulk> hap birt, Crow

<Crow-sama!> and so shulk's 'great' gifts continue

<shulk> hey, sometimes he does ok. this is just not one of those times

<Crow-sama!>

<shulk>

<Crow-sama!>

<shulk>

<Crow-sama!>

<shulk> this is the most teenager thing ive typed im in pain

<Crow-sama!> too bad crow isnt a teenager any more

<shulk> would they be having this problem if he was?? jury's out

<Crow-sama!>

<shulk> team 5Ds has the worst teamwork stat ever: the rp

<Crow-sama!> anti-teamwork

<shulk>

<Crow-sama!>

<shulk> sticks head in the sand

<Crow-sama!> /slams fist on table

<shulk> HOW DID THIS COME OUT OF A BODY PILLOW

WELCOME TO YOUR PRIVATE CHANNEL, shulk. FOR SECURE COMMUNICATION, USE 215.77.554.88 * shulk has joined 215.77.554.88 <shulk>** not actually sure what this is for but it seemed worth setting up