It's prolly wise, man.

(much heat. very heat. wow.

but oh my god, what sha-ming says next has him laughing so hard that he has tears on his eyes from the sheer force of hilarity. he has seen himself, thanks, yes!!! he just grew a new set of abs on what is already a very jacked stomach, thank you.)

Dude, nah!! I mean, yeah on the situationships, but I'm just loved as fuck, so it is what it is, intensity is fine - I'm fine, I'm fine-- hehehe, that was funny.

(okay, he's catching his breath.)

Yeah. Like I told you, I wouldn't drag Minatan into it. The reason why I left was not to drag anyone into anything, but, whatever. It's long gone for me, you feel?

(no???? that was like yesterday????)

Dude, yeah. Apparently, I was here, went home, returned here, didn't remember shit. Did some shit, went home for like, what, a fucking decade, now I'm here again, and I remember everything. This place has a grudge with me. Can't wait to stomp on Jerry's balls repeatedly.

Fucking dumbass. When you went missing, not only did Minatan write that post, but there were hella people worried about you. What else do you need, a bed of rose petals, a house in the hills, a written love declaration straight from someone's heart and/or nuts? It's in shit like that that you get to see it.

(he breaks minato's brain, now maybe he breaks sha-ming's, but there's no bite in his words, as they come out light and well-spirited.)

Weirdly enough, pretty sure Minato can handle himself when he feels like it, but, yeah. I got him.

(if sha-ming looks at him, though, now with all that dark hair, the redness of his cheeks are starting to show. yes, he's already starting to get tipsy, and the drink is not even finished and he already has another one queued up.)

Yeah, Jerry's just their spokesperson for sure, no way motherfucker runs anything... But he's what I have so far, so my plans are stomping on his left ball to get impulse to kick the higher up in the face. This place gave me super-strength, Shamin'. That's fucked up.

(unfortunately for everyone, manjiro has always had that effect. it's a certain charisma, a certainty in his words, along with that ridiculous strength and larger-than-god attitude. no wonder he has been a beloved leader, he just feels things, says things, helps when he feels like it, to whoever he finds worthy of his time and attention - not many, mind you. he'd not even look at sha-ming if he didn't see something in there.

not that manjiro is smart, he's observant in ways that are almost a string of poetic metaphors. shoulders that seem to carry the weight of the world, feelings that he can't particularly shake, things that his large eyes see and just stick to it. right now, he sees that sha-ming shrunk in size, almost like he wants to fit somewhere manjiro can't exactly see.)

... I thought you were much better than that, Shamin'. I'd rather die than ever be pitied - and you shouldn't either, when you got the real thing right in front of you. People are going to worry about you - because they care about you. Nothing in life is roses, love is worry, pain, suffering, but it's wonderful, and it's worth it, and a thousand times better than pity. You should know, you love Minatan so much you were tortured not to give him up. Would you rather pity him instead because he's sheep?

(sorry, how unexpectedly personal.)

People come and go, but they make who you are. What will happen is that they'll stay a part of you regardless, you gotta trust me on this, kinda expertise at this point. So, wipe that look off your face, you are much better than that... and I don't like it, actually.

(oof. his b.)

And real fucking strong. I could lift this bar counter with a single hand. I've always believed in fist fighting, your own damn strength and everything, because then it's fair. Can't be fair if I am stronger than anyone, so it is fucking with me personally.