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Post by Seth Calloway on Jun 10, 2008 16:51:33 GMT 1
Since the beginning of the Pillar system at Hircine High, things had become much more constant and traditional. There were the typical rules a student was expected to follow; do your schoolwork, stay out of trouble, and stay out of certain areas, such as the staff room or the Pillar's table. The last of these rules, however, had been broken more than a few times since the Varronites had transferred over from New York, but had always been done in order to draw the Pillars' attention.
Today, however, was different.
Being the first lunch period back since transferring away from Paragon, Seth had sat down at this particular table for one simple reason. Not to prove a point, or make a statement, but rather due to the rationale that since he'd made it back, it was his. As always, the fact that Seth had decided to be seen in public again had caused Tamara to follow him to his destination, standing at the end of the table with her arms crossed, fiddling with her ponytail in a nervous fashion.
I wish she'd just relax.
Seth was tempted to frown, but thought better of it; if Tamara saw him frown towards her, her attitude would only worsen, making her much harder to deal with than she typically was.
Regardless, the gang leader's actions had begun to draw attention, though he hadn't particularly intended for it to do so. Students began to flock to him, gradually at first, and as Seth's eyes roamed across those who had gathered, the vast majority had a certain symbol with them, proof of the gang they had followed before. Grinning, Seth put away his lunch, answering questions and posing ones of his own, before finally being confronted with a much more significant question.
"Hey Seth, you going to take a run at the Captain?"
Hesitating for a split second, Seth turned to face the young man who had asked him such, making sure that the boy was actually serious with his question.
"I wasn't aware there was one in the first place."
"Yeah, apparently I heard it's that Kyukaku dude. Won a tournament not that long ago, an' all that."
"Ridiculous."
At once, the various conversations about the table stopped, the gathered students all turning towards Revelation's leader, who despite his somewhat harsh tone, continued to have a smile on his face.
"Where did this tournament take place? Outside of school? Has he been officially recognized by the school itself? Or is this just another case of 'if I say I'm something long enough, people will start believing me'?"
"Uh... well... I..."
"No, don't worry. Let him do as he likes, as we have more important things to worry about. Paragon needs to be our first priority. After all, the Captainship isn't so much important as it is useful. Less of a goal as it is more of a tool."
With a barely perceptible sigh, Seth pulled a cigarette out from his pocket, lighting the smoke and taking a deep drag before continuing, allowing the cigarette to hang out of the corner of his mouth as he spoke.
"My plan is simple. If the new Captain doesn't work out, I'll just dispose of him. Easy as that."
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Post by Kyukaku on Jun 10, 2008 19:45:16 GMT 1
"Easy as that, huh?"
The question would come from behind Seth Calloway. Is the leader of Revelation would turn to look, he'd see the new School Captain with a cocked eyebrow, one hand gripping the backpack slung over his shoulder. Pausing a moment, whether Seth spoke or not, Kyukaku would then slip forward, taking a seat across from Seth regardless of how ever many Revelation members were gathered.
Despite his new title, Kyukaku had no prior intention of claiming the table as his. Such an action would be completely hypocritical after stating his views on the captainship to Alkaiser. No, it was mere coincidence that brought him here. Walking by on his way to class, he was simply able to see out glass windows. Two things then peaked his interest: one, there was someone sitting a the pillars' table in general, and two, that person was Seth Calloway; the student rumored to have murdered MacMillan. Put it together, and it seemed like a symbolic slap to Kyukaku's face. Such a subtle yet directed action was exactly Calloway's style.
"Last I heard, you were transferred."
Kyukaku stated plainly, leaving it open for Seth to expand upon it if he chose, though it wouldn't insinuate he was expecting it.
"Oh, and for the record, between the two of us... I'm not the one who's a tool."
(OOC: Short.)
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Post by Seth Calloway on Jun 10, 2008 21:42:35 GMT 1
(Eh, you know me. I don't reeeaallly care about length. ) IC: Seth wouldn't look behind him, as the tone of voice as well as Tamara's rapidly clenching jaw told him exactly who it was standing out of his sight. As the supposed Captain made his way around the table to sit down, the gathered Revelation members would part, giving him plenty of space, all the while Seth would watch him from the corner of his eye. It was highly doubtful any of those present would cause a problem, save perhaps Tamara, though she would be held restrained by a short glance from Seth. The dark-haired Junior would continue smiling towards Kyukaku, however, despite the veiled hostility he could feel. "We are all tools in a way, especially if you are one to believe in fate or destiny, though I personally prefer to think of people as actors. Playing their parts, sometimes unwittingly, in order for the entire play to continue on to its finale." It could appear as if Seth hadn't understood Kyukaku's insult, though more than likely some of those gathered could see through the facade. Instead, the gang leader had shrugged off the verbal barb, mocking Kyukaku in a subtle fashion in the process. "But you are quite correct. I did transfer to Paragon, briefly. Quite frankly, the institute is a farce, one that I wanted no part of, until recent complications. However, in the absence of authority in that place, it's incredibly difficult to change things from within. The students are no longer just a menace to themselves, but to Hircine as well. What do you plan on doing about that, School Captain?"
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Post by Kyukaku on Jun 12, 2008 0:00:13 GMT 1
The Revelation members parted like the Red Sea, allowing Kyukaku to sit down without any trouble. Perhaps it was the common sense to not screw with the School Captain, or merely obeying what they assumed to be their master's wishes. Regardless, whether it was a mututal observation of power or simply following orders, it seemed Kyukaku wouldn't have to worry about the other members...much.
Despite catching the obvious meaning, Seth delved deeper into his original meaning. Despite the many conflicted views on Stern Mason, Kyukaku couldn't help but associate the two men together. They both thrived on elegance in both their words and the carrying out of their actions. It was a common strategy of appearing smarter than their antagonists, whether it was a truth or a mirage. But while Kyukaku was by no means a genius, he was not a fool.
"-and that's all you do isn't it, Seth? You act. You played as the reluctant hero, the one to save all of Hircine High's students from the tyranny of MacMillan. When it came to the pillarship, you acted as allies. You know as well as I do that neither of those things were true. You weren't a real ally of the pillars; you proved that by kicking one through a window, and you sure as hell aren't a hero. You play whatever role comes your way. Now that Hircine has a vacant one, you're more than happy to play the villain. It's all a game to you, isn't it Seth?"
Kyukaku leaned in as he spoke, resting his forearms on the table as he clasped his hands together. Eyeing Seth for a moment as he spoke, Kyukaku tried to read his body language, attempting to sift out what would be a real clue to motives and to what would only be another mirage of his acting. His eyes briefly trailed to the side, making eye contact with the Revelation member Seth had been talking to earlier, noting her body language as well, as it had been much easier to place with intentions.
"I plan to do what I've always tried to. I'll protect as many people as I physically can. Whether its a troop of Paragon students or a thespian like yourself, I'll continue to stand in the way. But if you're half as smart as you pretend to be, then you'd already know my intentions. So what of you, Seth? What type of game do you intend to start playing this time around?"
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Post by Seth Calloway on Jun 12, 2008 20:48:51 GMT 1
The more Kyukaku spoke, the more agitated Tamara got, her lips peeling back to reveal the teeth grinding against each other. The disrespectful way he spoke to Seth was making her furious, and once the older male finished, her arms unfolded, readying herself to leap across the table and pound some respect into him. However, even as such thoughts were going through her mind, she was cut off by the sound of laughter, coming from the very man she had intended to defend. "Well put, Captain, well put. You're definitely on the right track, though you're off on a few things. However, I feel obligated to point out the fact that I've done nothing to fill in for any villain, save eating my lunch." The Junior withdrew the cigarette from his mouth, flicking the ashes onto the ground behind him before replacing it once more. He was pleased that Kyukaku knew as much as he did, though to be fair, Seth had given him and his ladyfriend a heads-up in the woods not so long ago. Still, it definitely made things much more enjoyable as he went about his work. "To be honest, I'd hoped you had a little more of an actual plan in mind, aside from simply reacting to whatever Paragon does. Instead, it seems you're going to have to wait for them to throw the first punch before you can defend yourself, which can be troublesome if they manage to do significant damage. As for myself, however, I'm going to take a more proactive approach. Unless things change, Paragon will meet the same fate as MacMillan." Unable to contain himself, Seth's grin grew wider, the boy allowing himself a moment of satisfaction at the challenge that had been overcome. It had been fun while it lasted, and hopefully, Paragon would manage to give him a more entertaining battle. At the moment, however, it seemed he would need to stabilize Hircine in order to bring the school to bear against the institute. "I'm curious. Has the Unofficial Captain picked his Unofficial Pillars, yet? Or are you going to police and protect this school all by yourself?"
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Post by Kyukaku on Jun 16, 2008 4:10:59 GMT 1
"Yeah, not yet."
Truth was, Seth was right. Save for rumors and gut feelings, he hadn't done, or been proven to have done, anything that could be considered too morally wrong by the Hircine High standards. He was brutal, but so were most of the other strong fighters attending here. He was ambitious and probably sociopathic, but that wasn't a rare title either. Even if the rumor about him killing MacMillan was true, which Kyu leaned towards believing, he was sure there would be plenty in the school ready to share the same beliefs. Kyukaku wasn't one of them, though.
"What you're suggesting is war. While being 'reactionary' may not be the quickest way of dealing with Paragon, it does ensure that I won't cross over to your side of the line. While my run ins with that place have so far been as fun as this, I'm sure there are people there that want nothing to do with the Hircine-Paragon angst. I'm looking for peace, while you're gunning for war."
Kyukaku sat back, crossing his arms across his chest as he replied once more. "More or less. Alkaiser is sticking around, and I'm also grabbing another you may or may not have heard of. The one that took out your Horseman of War. The third position, well... its currently vacant."
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Post by Shuya Katsumoto on Jun 17, 2008 18:06:59 GMT 1
Paperwork…
The job description for being the Hircine High principal might’ve just as easy been ‘doing a lot of paperwork’. It sickened Shuya that the Hircine High students had been so calm lately, not actively participating in any of the fights outside of school hours… some had checked out the new institute, but despite that, there hadn’t really been any quarrels between Hircine and Paragon. Shuya had tried to contact Davis, but unfortunately the principal had been absent then, though his secretary had supposedly given him the message to contact Shuya… and Shuya alone. So far however, Shuya hadn’t heard a single thing from the man.
“Claire!” Shuya shouted, resulting his colleague who had been sitting on the other side of the desk looking up at him with an irritated look in her eyes. Shuya took no real note of this and turned to the door as his new secretary entered the office. Shuya had of course looked for the most handsome secretary he could find, but the fact that this one was very adequate at doing her job as well had been the real motivation for him to hire her. Her long blond hair danced through the air as she entered the office and Shuya watched Alexander carefully as she shook her head and continued her own work. Shuya knew that Victoria disliked the fact that Shuya had hired a ‘hot’ secretary over a ‘strict’ one, but she had to deal with the fact that both of them handled their business the way they wanted to.
”Yes, mister Katsumoto?” She responded, standing next to his desk. Shuya couldn’t resist glancing at her legs underneath her skirt before skipping his face to her face again and smirking at her. She apparently was used to getting those kind of glances as her face didn’t move a muscle and the same friendly smile as ever was on it. “Claire, I’d like you to send these papers over to governor’s office, same as always…” She nodded as she took the papers and walked out the door again, Shuya once more staring at her until she left. He shook his head playfully as he turned his chair back to his desk again and stared out the window to his left.
“What the…”
He recognized one of the students that were seated at the pillar’s table… Seth Calloway. With a wry smile on his face, he stared at the other students who were with him, but the only other that he recognized was Tamara, the young girl who seemed to follow Seth anywhere he went. What was Seth doing here at Hircine? Shuya had checked the transfer papers three times and there had been no mistaking, Seth had personally asked to be transferred to the Paragon Institute… and yet, here he was. However, the individual that strolled over to Seth’s little group wasn’t one of them for certain and Shuya looked a little unease to see Kyukaku move over to the group. The youngster had been unofficially been appointed Captain of the school by winning in a tournament and Shuya had to decided to see how this would turn out.
Officially, Shuya hadn’t given his and with that, the school’s support, but as long as Kyukaku continued to say he was the captain and had followers, the newest puppet had been created. All students like William would turn their attention towards Kyukaku, fight him in order to gain the title of captain themselves. Shuya knew Kyukaku was a capable fighter so as things were going now, he didn’t even have to give his support… Kyukaku would keep things calm in Hircine himself… exactly what a captain would do. However, there seemed to be nothing going on at Hircine right now… so, what good was a captain in that situation? Perhaps Seth would finally turn things upside down… and finally make this place entertaining again…
With the same smile on his face, Shuya suddenly jumped out of his chair and walked through the door. He gave his secretary a small nod before leaving the waiting room and entering the hallway. He was lucky that his office was close to the stairways so he quickly moved down and left the school through the side entrance. From there, he could already see the students. Their numbers had reduced and only Seth, Tamara and Kyukaku were now seated at the table. Shuya casually walked closer to the three students until he could finally hear what they were saying. He caught Seth asking if Kyukaku had already formed new pillars and on his turn, Kyukaku spoke about Seth going to war with Paragon.
“Well, as long as he takes that war over to the Paragon grounds, I don’t really see a problem, Scott.”
With a casual look on his face, Shuya took a seat at the table himself, not waiting for an invite or asking for permission. Hell, this table was owned by the school that he technically ran… so in a way, it was his table... He looked at Tamara for a few seconds and gave her a small respecting nod, acknowledging he remembered her and was in no way going to be a threat to her or Seth. Finally he enclosed some words to Seth, before listening what else these two potential students had to say to each other… or about each other.
“Calloway… I was afraid I’d seen the last of you during graduation day… It’s good to see you’re still around here now and then…”
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Post by Seth Calloway on Jun 20, 2008 20:00:02 GMT 1
(Terribly sorry for the delay)
Before the dark-haired Junior could respond, a familiar voice cut in, one that Seth wasn't surprised to hear in the slightest. He'd been curious as to how Shuya's plan had gone in his absence, and as he turned his head to view the man, he noticed the more-formal clothing Shuya had chosen to wear, hinting at the results he had been hoping for.
"I'll be around much more often, actually. Paragon is far from the institute I had hoped for. But I see you've accomplished what you were hoping for."
Tamara, of course, had simply given a nod in reply, as much of her attention still remained on Kyukaku. She had slowly begun to trust the principal more, since nothing had happened from their previous meeting, though the self-appointed School Captain didn't have that same fact working in his favour. Seth, however, would listen to whatever Shuya answered with, should he answer at all, before turning back to Kyu.
"War is such a harsh term. I have no intention on forcing casulties on either side. Instead, I simply plan on pacifying the Paragon students as effectively as possible."
Exactly how far he would go to force such a thing on Paragon, however, was the real question. It would depend mostly on how the institute reacted to the two schools' initial interactions. Rather than dwell on this fact, Seth would instead build off of what else the unofficial Captain had said.
"The one who took out Conner... I'm afraid I don't know much about that particular student. I suppose I'll have to speak with him sooner or later. But, if you would like some friendly advice, I'd suggest finding your third Pillar soon. It won't be long before one of our two schools makes the first significant move, and I would hate to see you unprepared."
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Post by Kyukaku on Jun 20, 2008 22:48:02 GMT 1
Before Seth could reply to Kyukaku's last words, Shuya had made his presence known. To Kyu, he would always be Shuya Katsumoto, and not the Principal of Hircine High. Though the two had an interesting friendship, if it could be called such, they almost never saw anything eye to eye. Though he was now their administrator, he was still only a year or so older than he was. How Shuya's connections were able to land him this one, Kyu couldn't know. The man's resources were endless.
Yeah, I'm sure you wouldn't..." Kyukaku sighed as he shook his head. "But it doesn't change anything to me."
As Seth and Shuya began to speak amongst eachother, Kyukaku began to make various observations. The highest among these was simply how they interacted with eachother. Shuya and Kyukaku have had alliances in the past, and at time they could have even been called friends. Now, however, it seemed Shuya had landed on familiar ground. Despite the history between himself and the principal, Shuya had much more in common with Calloway. That thought alone was enough to make Kyu a bit nervous.
"Well Seth, it might interest you to know that he's a former associate of your predecessor, Stern Mason. Still, I can't disagree with your last point, though it makes me nauseous to agree with you even on this. Just make sure to not make it our school as the one to start this."
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Post by Seth Calloway on Jun 26, 2008 0:05:37 GMT 1
"Flattery will get you nowhere, Kyukaku. Stern was hardly my predecessor, more like an example to improve upon."
Seth chuckled for a moment, entertaining himself with thoughts of what would have happened if Stern's plan hadn't failed. Despite their apparent similiarities, the Junior had no doubt the two would have ended up at odds with each other. Neither one seemed to enjoy taking orders from another, and the ensuing battle would no doubt have been very entertaining. Unfortunately, it seemed such a confrontation would never occur, with the older boy's disappearance after his failure, which left Seth to find other ways to amuse himself. Despite how entertained he was currently, Seth's voice would take on a much more serious tone as he continued.
"However, don't think that your self-appointed title gives you any power over me. I will do as I see fit, and I most certainly do not need your permission to do anything. I've already informed you of my intentions; the only way our school will not be the ones 'starting this' will be if Paragon decides to move before I do."
With a sigh, Seth pulled the remaining stub of a cigarette out of his mouth, flicking it behind him to fall on the pavement. He had to be careful to control himself, as Tamara was prone to picking up on his agitation, and would likely act in a manner far from what he wanted at the moment. The leader of Revelation took his time removing another cigarette from the carton in his pocket, lighting it and taking a deep inhalation to take the edge off. He hadn't lost control, per se, but the new cigarette went a long way in making sure he wouldn't come close to doing so any time soon.
"As I said before, those students are a danger, both to Hircine, and those who have been forced to transfer there. That atmosphere will drive them to deeper and deeper depths of madness, and I'm sure you don't want to see more students get hurt. I'd hate to do your job for you, 'Captain'."
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Post by Kyukaku on Jun 28, 2008 7:18:20 GMT 1
Throughout the entire conversation Seth had taken several less-than-subliminal shots at Kyukaku's new title. Constant statements of self-proclamation. Of course, that's what it was, as it was with any traditional Pillarship rule. A government of students, ruling over and ruling by students. Authority wasn't an easy thing to obtain, though the hardest part would be the early days like now. With no prior captain left in place, there were no real set rules on how to become captain.
Sometimes it was in the control of the administration, and Kyukaku wouldn't be surprised to learn Shuya would want such a thing. However the only acceptance Kyu wanted, or needed, would come from those students he aimed to protect, and the support was ever present. If the new Principals wanted to put in their own pillars, a strategy not all that different than the watcher program, then so be it. The School Captain was the people's choice, not the two other men sitting at the table with the current Captain.
"No, that's not the only way. Unlike those who last held this position, I don't plan to give you the same free reign, and I sure as hell aren't looking to fight at your side. I've heard how those fights end." Kyukaku paused, taking a moment to give Shuya a side glance, as he had been present at the exact fight Kyu had referenced.
"Cut the crap, Seth." Kyukaku exhaled sharply, sighing in agitation.
"There's no one here for you to put a show on for. I know you don't give a crap about anyone at this school but yourself. While I disagreed with Stern's methods and intentions, at least he believed himself to be justified. You...you just do it for fun. I'll be damned if I let you pretend to be me while you're just feeding the flames, all just for your entertainment."
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Post by Seth Calloway on Jul 4, 2008 1:17:32 GMT 1
"Well, if I were to 'cut the crap' as you suggest, then I'd hope for you to do the same. Let's face it, there's very little you can actually do to stop me. In case you hadn't noticed, I'm about as well-respected and liked as you are, if not moreso, which means you'll have a hard time finding others out to bring myself and my noble cause down."
Unable to contain himself, Seth burst out laughing for a moment, diffusing whatever tension had been building in himself during this meeting. He had been worried that Kyukaku had actually figured out the gang leader's weakness, but the more the 'Captain' spoke, the more his worries faded away. With a small puff of smoke aimed in the general direction of the Senior, Seth continued.
"So since you won't have the numbers needed to beat me down, I suppose the best you can hope for is to beat me yourself, one on one. Something that won't happen, mind you, and even if such a fight were to take place, I wouldn't give you the best of odds."
A quick glance towards Tamara kept the girl in check, as Seth knew the current conversation would no doubt cause her aggression to rise to almost uncontrollable levels. For a moment, Seth was curious what Shuya was thinking, but the moment passed as quickly as it came; if the principal's thoughts were something he needed to know, then he'd hear about them afterwards.
"But, since I do in fact do much of this for my own benefit, I'm going to give you a chance. You've got a week... no, make it two. Two weeks to do as you feel you need to before I make my own move. I'll even give you the benefit of the doubt and say that if you come up with a better plan than I have, I'll go along with it. Sound... fair?"
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Post by Shuya Katsumoto on Jul 7, 2008 14:49:48 GMT 1
During the entire discussion, Shuya had followed the movements of both students in front of him with a small frown on his face. Though he had vouched for Seth Calloway to become the new school captain as soon as he himself had become principal, he was now slightly doubtful about the entire situation. Shuya couldn’t care too much about Paragon and Seth’s plans, whatever they exactly might be would probably only work in the benefit of Shuya. But Kyukaku’s self claimed title did mean that the students would probably connect him to Shuya one way or another. Even if the two didn’t have any connection at the moment. Shuya knew he would have to play this one carefully as he would need both students in front of him. Both students had their fair share of followers but choosing a side for any of them wouldn’t lead to anything useful…
Finally, Shuya’s frown turned into a small smirk as Seth gave Kyukaku a set time he had for proving himself. It was fun to see how Seth was the stronger talker here… while Kyukaku on the other hand had better motives to fight. Seth sure knew his way around here and Shuya wasn’t intending on stopping the young student from whatever it was he was planning. However, he had to make sure he was at least up to date about it… so it was clear he had to have some form of information he could get from Seth. But Shuya would no doubt have a conversation with the man soon. For now, he would probably wait for Seth to leave so he could have a small talk with Kyukaku. It seemed the student had forgotten who had been the one who got his ass out of jail.
Shuya was planning on meeting the Paragon principal soon and he knew that Kyukaku knew more about Trent Davis than Shuya did. In fact, the student had some particular rivalry between him and Trent and Shuya would need to have that information before he could meet up with said principal. He would remind Kyukaku who had gotten him free in the first place and apart from discussing Trent, they would discuss Kyukaku’s position. Shuya knew Kyukaku was probably one of the best captain’s he could wish for, but he wanted to know Kyukaku’s true intentions, his goals, how far he would go and how wrong he would be to turn against Shuya. For now, he awaited Kyukaku’s response to Seth’s appointed date…
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Post by Kyukaku on Jul 10, 2008 5:16:04 GMT 1
If Seth's words had shaken Kyukaku's convictions, he gave no outward sign. However, what Seth said was likely very true. The problem with always looking for the best in people was the fact that you would overlook certain portions of that person. Kyukaku would often assume people were smarter than they were and therefore not foolish enough to fall for Seth's facade. Alas, a very good portion were not smart enough, and it was probably true Seth would have more of a backing if it came to a war between the two of them.
"I'm not here to talk numbers or egos, Seth. If it ever comes to it, you'll be stopped. I promise you that."
In contrast to Seth's laugh, Kyukaku would talk plainly, holding no emotion besides sincerity. As Seth continued talking, as he did that best, Kyukaku couldn't help but ponder his words. Truthfully, he was new to this leadership roll. He'd always acted alone for better or for worse. In this situation, he didn't know what path to follow. Should he outright dismiss Seth on principle, or should he place his ego aside if it meant a better result for the school?
"If you plan to give me that long with no trouble, I can promise you my best to make sure you'll never need to start any."
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Post by Seth Calloway on Jul 16, 2008 0:27:19 GMT 1
"You'll have to forgive me if I don't have the utmost confidence that you'll be able to do such a thing. But if it makes any difference, I would prefer it if you did. It would certainly make things easier for myself."
Finding that there was very little left to say, and having had his lunch interrupted, there was little point for Seth to remain at the table. The two would probably continue talking in circles if he did, and so, Seth would stand up, throwing his backpack over his right shoulder while dropping the remainder of his cigarette on the ground. The Junior took a step backwards, paused as if thinking for a moment, then looked towards Kyukaku once more.
"I look forward to working with you. Or, if push comes to shove, taking the Captainship from you. Either way should prove to be entertaining."
His right foot came forward, crushing the smouldering cigarette underneath and grinding it into the ground, before he looked towards Shuya.
"I'll see you both around, sometime. Come on, Tamara. Let's finish our lunch in a more... pleasant setting. There's a nice tree close by."
Smiling happily, Seth turned and walked away, and after one last glare in Kyukaku's direction, Tamara followed close behind.
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