second trauma [video]

[unpleasantries]

[This time Satori is a little less careful with the camera, because she's starting to get used to the stares and the questions on the street about the eye on her chest, so it's in full view.

The eye, although anyone who appears in the camera will likely be out of its range, stares unblinkingly into it.

No, really. No matter how long you watch it, it doesn't blink.

Ever.]

I don't suppose any of you know anything about a Palace of the Earth Spirits?

[She leaves it at that and doesn't mention why she's asking, though.]

Comments

2/2

[hatefriendleader]

Well, that was weird. Anyway fuck you for whatever weird alien thing you were just implying.

[unpleasantries]

I was implying you're owned by an animal. See, around here - let's assume I'm a human for this exercise, so you don't get to confused - around here, we humans take care of animals and adopt them into our families.

So I'm really not seeing the difference between "lusus" and "owner." Did your lusus make you wear a collar or make you go outside to use the bathroom?

[hatefriendleader]

Okay, no, the troll is the one that takes care of hygiene because a lusus is a fucking generally-non-sentient creature, and the behavior policing is pretty much symbiotically mutual. Like, keeping your lusus from getting into the trash is on you, keeping you from slacking off on your schoolfeeding is your lusus's job. Obviously.

[unpleasantries]

Oh, so that explains why your behavior is so terrible. You didn't have proper parents. I'd pity you if you were remotely pitiable.

[hatefriendleader]

First of all, I can't fathom a reality in which I could even conceive of being any less interested in your pity. Secondly, your strange earth parent lusuus aren't even a thing my species has a concept of, the absence of them obviously has nothing to do with my terrible personality.

[unpleasantries]

As long as you realize it's terrible, I guess it doesn't matter too much.

[hatefriendleader]

What, you thought I didn't realize I was an asshole? That'd be preposterous, just fucking listen to me.

[unpleasantries]

You would be surprised how many, ah...assholes don't think they're being assholes.

[hatefriendleader]

That's because they're either smaller assholes than me, making it less obvious, or bigger, making them more oblivious. I like to think I've done everyone the courtesy of hitting the sweet spot for insufferable douchiness that still affords me a suitable level of self-loathing.

[unpleasantries]

Self-loathing? That's an interesting word to use.

[hatefriendleader]

Why, what's it to you?

[unpleasantries]

It's nothing to me. How much you hate yourself probably isn't any of my business, but it's interesting how cavalierly you admitted it.

[hatefriendleader]

Hating yourself is usually just proof that you have common sense, why would I hide that?

[unpleasantries]

That's another interesting thing to say. I may have misjudged you.

...To be honest, misjudging someone is quite refreshing.

[hatefriendleader]

You thought I was a stupid asshole with no real redeeming qualities and then I admitted you were right. Where does the midjugment part come in?

[unpleasantries]

I thought you were an uninteresting stupid asshole with no redeeming qualities. That's where I was wrong.

I'd love to see how the inside of your head works. Hopefully I'll have that opportunity sooner rather than later.

[hatefriendleader]

Wow, that's not creepy or anything, what a normal and appropriate thing to say.

[unpleasantries]

What's inappropriate about it? It's not like I'm literally threatening to cut your head open and see the inside of it.

[hatefriendleader]

Oh shit, really? No, I thought that was actually on the table. It's still creepy that it sounded like it. Plus your literal meaning is probably some invasive stalker bullshit so that's hardly any better.

[unpleasantries]

Perhaps I should keep my meaning to myself. That way it can be a surprise if we ever meet in person.

[hatefriendleader]

God I hate surprises.

[unpleasantries]

That just makes it even better.