Er... (Sorry) [Visual]

[like_a_dragon]

[Chie's in front of the video again, except her hooves are shuffling and she's having trouble looking directly into the camera. Her face is flushed and she's sweating profusely.]

So... ["To be honest, this is really hard. I'm not very good at admitting my mistakes... and talking in front of people I don't know actually makes me really shy! But this is important. I know that I've been worrying everybody, especially my friends. "]

[She takes a deep breath, making a small gesture with her hoof.]

Um... ["Remember that thing that happened a few weeks ago? I've been thinking about it and I just feel terrible for responding the way I did. I mean it wasn't entirely my fault and all, but I didn't have to respond to it as badly as I did."]

And... ["...this place seems pretty cool when it's not in the middle of a world-wide crisis? There are some people here that are really nice and I would hate for them to get the wrong idea."]

Yeah... ["That's all I want to say, really."]

[She takes a deep breath and motions to turn off her scroll. At least that is over wit-]

Oh! ["Oh!"] Does anybody here like kung fu movies?

Comments

[like_a_dragon]

Yeah, so? I was in a panic, and I don't know you enough to worry about your apparent inferiority complex!

[want_a_vacation]

Right, so not knowing someone means you don't have to give a rat's ass about them. I'll remember that the next time someone I don't know is asking for help and I think I can do something.

It'll probably just keep me from wasting their time anyway, since what can I do?

[like_a_dragon]

Oh, sure, that's real mature! But I suppose if I find you bleeding in a ditch somewhere I will go find help and then stop when somebody cries because they don't know where the hospital is and they are crying from their lack of direction.

[want_a_vacation]

...First off, if someone is crying just because they can't help, then they're obviously too sensitive. That's a lot different from being upset because you attacked their self-worth over the fact that they can't help.

Second, you're acting like psychological states aren't anything worth taking into consideration. Reinforcing someone's existing insecurities and then blowing them off when it hurts their delicate feelings is a good way to get someone seriously hurt. What if you said that to someone who barely had enough confidence to keep their job and that was enough to tip them over into thinking they weren't even good enough for that? Would you just yell at them for taking something you said while stressed to heart and then believing it even more when you mocked them for being offended?

[like_a_dragon]

...uh-huh...

...how old are you, mister?

[want_a_vacation]

Twenty-six.

Let me guess, now you're going to accuse me of acting like a child for not ignoring emotions as irrational like some military robot or Realian right out of the factory, right?

[like_a_dragon]

...no, I'm going to tell you that you're clearly smart and an adult and that you are handling this situation very badly.

And that you're acting like a crybaby trying get the respect of a 16-year-old girl that you barely know. And that you are acting like it is going to be the end of the world if you don't get it.

[want_a_vacation]

Look, I'm going to be blunt here. I've spent my entire life with something or other saying that I'm insignificant and not good enough. It's not an issue of the respect of someone I don't know, it's an issue of being smacked down and having those beliefs rubbed in when I tried to offer help. After a certain point, it doesn't matter if you know the person or not, all that matters is that something external is echoing the thoughts you've been trying to push aside and remind yourself you shouldn't listen to.

[like_a_dragon]

I don't care if you're blunt. Say what you want, but I'm saying that maybe if you have these issues you should talk it over with somebody that knows you more and cares.

We're not friends, you know. We've talked maybe, what? Ten minutes? And already you've pushed some pretty heavy stuff. Especially when things are already crazy enough as it is.

[want_a_vacation]

All I was really looking for was an apology for what you said, you're the one who acted like I was absurd for even being offended. Since I'm obviously just wasting both of our time here trying to explain why that was an issue, I'll just say forget about it and go on with your life. I'll just take my unreasonable beliefs about what warrants an apology and get out of your hair.

*And he's moving to roll up the scroll now.*

[like_a_dragon]

...okay?

I mean, that sounds like what you want. I'm not going to stop you.