moreincommon | 016 ☺ Video ☺ It's something unpredictable, but in the end it's right

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016 ☺ Video ☺ It's something unpredictable, but in the end it's right

Ladies, gentlemen, and neuters of the Barge,

It's both my honor and my pleasure to offer my congratulations to Satsuki on her graduation. She's come a long way and done a lot of work since she first arrived and we all should be proud of her.

Also, I know the last flood was kind of unpredictable. Pretty sure nothing harmful came out of it, but... well, we made a mess. I'm planning to pitch in with cleaning, and if anyone wants to volunteer too I'd love the help. Maybe we could even get a full janitorial team for the day.

[Private to Chris]
Hey. I heard you got into an argument, want to talk about it?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Everyone does it once in a while.

So that'd be a no? Thinking someone's nice isn't the same as really seeing them as a person.

Dude, I don't think he's an animal. I see him as a person! Fucking christ, you know what I did for him in Silent Hill? And still he pulls this shit? Christ.

What happened in Silent Hill?

I met my dad and he wanted me to kill Megamind so we could take his item and go home.

I didn't. Shit went to hell.

And he's giving me crap now? I fucking saved his ass.

Wow. That's... I know how hard it must have been for you to refuse that.

Yeah, I'm still fucking torn up over that one.

So that's going on, and he's all pussy-footing around being all "it's okay to be gay" and "I'm here for you", which is...nice. Or it would be nice, if I was going out into a world where people are nice.

I'm not. I'm going to goddamn New York City and if you want to survive you have to step up your game. He's a great guy, I like him a lot. But he's trying to be one thing and I'm trying to be another and if he doesn't have the balls to take me down when I'm being an asshole then maybe he's not the guy I should be looking to for advice when I go up against real, serious threats.

Know what I'm saying?

I think I do. [Which is not to say that he agrees, but the kid's got a point.] Though there are a few nice people in New York.

What do you want to be?

Tough. Tough, and respected, and fucking alive at the end of the day. You have no idea what kind of psychos I'm going up against. Megamind's a close friend and he's helping me with my GED, but if he's looking for me to, like...defer to him on all manners of what my adulthood's going to be like, I think I'd rather stick with my warden.

Tough and respected and alive are perfectly good goals, and I don't think you'll have any trouble achieving them.

He's just trying to teach you what he thinks is best, I'm sure. But who to listen to and take advice from is your decision to make, and if you want something for yourself that he doesn't want, that's okay. As long as you make an effort to understand each other and respect differences, it shouldn't matter.

I swear I don't know what the fuck he's trying to do some days. I'm like 50% certain he wants to split me and Rorschach apart and warden me himself.

What makes you think that?

He's trying to warden me all the fucking time and he was pissed when Rorschach and me flipped out on each other and wanted us to unpair immediately.

You guys don't do that regularly, right?

No, that was just the one time when I was being a huge prick to him. We're good now. Partners.

That's not the best way to reach an understanding, but as long as you got there.

Randall tried to eat me a few times until I got a gun. I normally don't approve of violence, but it ended well.

You see? Boundaries. If I'm acting like a prick, I'd like it if someone knocked my head in and told me to shut the fuck up. Not this passive-aggressive grounding bullshit.

How about if instead, someone says "you're acting like a prick so stop it"?

Yeah, I'd stop it, if they were serious.

Is that something you'd be willing to work on? Not being quiet whenever anyone asks, but watching for cues that people might be upset.

Seriously, Mark? If someone tells me they're upset they're going to show it with their words or fists. I can't keep up with assholes who don't express their feelings. I'm not a mind-reader.

Let's at least go for words instead of fists, then.

Okay. But only if they're not acting like whiny little bitches.

That's better than nothing. Sure.

Awesome. Good compromise. I'm proud of us.

I am too!

But back to the main subject. What do you think you're going to say next time you see him?