He speaks gently to the personification of destiny.
I am a vessel for you to command.
I will guide you to whatever you desire.
So come on, there is a lot to learn today.
I want to play in the fields.
I want to watch the fascinating little humans and monsters.
I want to catch a firefly in a bottle.
I know that!
I must not let everyone down.
I must learn to be a queen and unite my people.
I must gain power.
But I do not want to do any of it right now.
It is too boring to think about!
You are a strange girl.
Perhaps disliking responsibility is normal at this age?
So then, it makes me normal!
You are the strange one, Kaji.
We are but a year apart! You as well should not be so fond of responsibility.
Play with me for today. Work can wait.
I want to show you the humans and monsters!
They are much more interesting than winged and celestials.
They lack wings, they lack divinity...
Are you certain they can be that interesting?
Yes! I would not tell lies to you, Kaji!
Besides, don't you want to see where the knitted gift you wear came from?
I suppose I am a little curious...
And the young man wondered, perhaps it is the limitations of monsters and humans that interest the lady. After all, she bats no eye to the potential found in her existence as a limitless being.
Monsters are tough, but they use their claws only to protect their dear home.
Instead, the young man realized the lady disliked her duties as a monarch only when it was something concerned with her wellbeing, and hers alone.
Her heart had love for others, but none for herself.
Perhaps directly learning about one's people shall be an acceptable lesson for a future queen from now on, too.
I'll show them to you today!
Sure, sure.
Just hold on carefully, so that you will not be lost.
Yet, she did not fall, for the young man supported her all the way through. He believed he'd supported the lady simply because he was born to do so, but he did not realize that a part of his actions was motivated by a bittersweet sympathy.
Sympathy for this lady, who is the opposite of an ideal monarch.
Indeed, who would dare pity the lord of worlds, the ruler of rulers? The thought had never crossed his mind, because he was adamant on not forgetting where he stands.
Or so he thought.
Kaji: What are you dreaming of?
You're here with the queen!
Haha... Yeah, and you're gonna go together...
You're gonna go and see the funny humans and monsters together! Haha!
But what's with this annoying noise around you, anyways? It's supposed to be just the two of you here! It's like someone, or someones, have been bickering nonstop nearby.
You're gonna go find out who dares to bother you like this, and SHUT them up.
Kaji: Open your eyes.
Why does he look so familiar?
Wait, where... are you? This isn't home.
And why can't you move?
Kaji: Look down.
- Kaji: WAUGH!
- Kaji: WHAT THE GOSHDARN.
- Nino: Oh, he's awake?
- Nino: See, idiots, he's not dead!
- Reed: No one thought that except for Aria.
- Aria: It's just because he wasn't moving for so long...
- Meimona: He's dumb, but not dumb enough to die from a kick, miss!
It's all coming back now.
Everything. All of it. Painfully so.
A bunch of kids beat you up in a fight that probably would be fun to watch if set to some cool background music, and now... they think you've become their prisoner, don't they? The smug expressions tell it all. Why, this is all so backwards!
What kind of cop goes to his own jail, held by his own ropes!?
No way in hell that's gonna be you.
Nino: Don't get bullheaded, shouldn’t you be a bit more cautious?
You've already confirmed that this ship is totally empty - indeed, not a soul here besides the captain himself, who was successfully beaten by YOU earlier. That's the first thing you've checked for!
And just look at how pathetically helpless he is in this state! There's nothing to be worrying about when you've got him surrounded.
You'd say you're as cautious as is appropriate in this situation.
It's going to be so easy getting your way here.
Kaji: Locate precious thing.
- Nino: -OW!
- Meimona: Hi, hello, Kaji!
- Meimona: This ship's your precious baby, isn't it?
- Meimona: You don't want anything bad to happen to it, right?
- Kaji: What...?
- Kaji: Whatcha gettin' at, thief?
- Meimona: Oh, absolutely nothing bad. But here's an idea!
- Meimona: Why don't you sail us back to safe land and let us go there?
- Meimona: Everyone agreed that that's for the best!
- Kaji: Who the hell is everyone?
- Meimona: Us four!
- Meimona: All except for you, you're not included.
- Meimona: You don't got a choice, matey!
- Kaji: So.
- Kaji: I just woke up.
- Kaji: And yer threatenin' me by holdin' my ship hostage.
- Meimona: Oh my word! Threatening? Such barbaric language!
- Meimona: Tsk tsk, we're just asking for a simple request...
- Meimona: That, if not fulfilled, might cause some ship around here to get a couple holes kicked into it?
- Kaji: How dare ya threaten my precious Argo Navis!
- Kaji: Her floorboards are so delicate, ya heartless thing.
- Meimona: ...H...Her?
- Nino: Oh. Somehow I kind of understand how he feels.
- Reed: Dude. Don't say that.
- Aria: Mei, don't be so mean...
- Aria: I feel bad for him.
- Meimona: I'm not being mean!
- Meimona: It's called a negotiation, Aria.
- Aria: Let me talk to him instead, okay?
- Meimona: What? But-
- Meimona: Umm.
- Aria: Mr. Kaji!
- Kaji: What, now it's another one...?
- Aria: You'll forgive us, right?
- Aria: We don't mean any harm!
- Aria: We're not gonna do anything to your ship, either...
- Meimona: Wow... come on!
- Meimona: Being nice doesn't work with this guy, Aria!
- Aria: But... how would you know when you haven't tried, Mei?
- Aria: I am sure that he could come to understand!
- Aria: Mister, we were just trying to get back to this world safely!
- Aria: Normal humans like us shouldn't pose any danger here.
- Aria: I mean... it's our world!
- Aria: So, there's no need to think of us as a threat,
- Aria: Or to put us in...
- Aria: J-j-jail.
- Aria: It should be fine to let some harmless humans off the hook, right?
- Kaji: Wow.
Meimona: What a dumb plan!
You're forced to admit it, she may be the perfect person for this kind of negotiation, after all. And yes, none of what she says resonates with you at all!
Not one bit!!!
So fine, whatever, you can sit it out, and you will do just that... As long as you still have your uses, even if you can't handle this specific problem. Right.
Aria: Continue (completely unintentional) emotional persuasion plan.
- Aria: But... yes, mister Kaji the pirate angel.
- Kaji: It's just Kaji...
- Aria: All I wanted was to find my way home, to the right place in this world!
- Aria: Is that really so unforgivable?
- Kaji: Look, spare me the tearful display.
- Kaji: I'm just tryin' to keep things peaceful, as is my job here.
- Aria: We're not going to do anything that disrupts it!
- Aria: At least, I won't...
- Aria: I believe my friends here aren't bad people either.
- Aria: So you can let us go without worrying, I promise!
- Aria: You guys promise too, right?
- Aria: ...
- Aria: Guys?
- Reed: Uh.
- Meimona: Sure, why not!
- Nino: I can promise.
- Nino: I'm in Aria's exact position, after all.
- Nino: But, to be honest, these two are dubious at best.
- Meimona: Hey, what?
- Reed: Hmm, I mean, apparently...
- Reed: Mei is a thief around these parts.
- Meimona: Wait, I...
- Reed: Isn't that a direct threat to Kaji's peace?
- Nino: Yeah, pretty much!
- Nino: Actually, now that I think about it...
- Nino: In a way, she's the entire reason for this!
- Nino: You guys should see all the wanted posters with her face around the islands.
- Meimona: No, Reed is just deflecting from-
- Aria: Right, stealing is bad... oops.
- Meimona: W-what!
- Meimona: Aria, you too?
- Meimona: Are you all turning on me?
- Aria: Sorry! I just...
- Aria: I can't make a good promise to Kaji like this...
- Nino: I just stated the obvious truth.
- Meimona: B-but, I...
Meimona: Don't be nervous!
Kaji: These kids have looked down on you long enough.
You were so sure that he wouldn't dare try anything, but-
Nino: But you still have the upper hand...?
You quietly appreciate the fact that someone this battle-ready is on your side.
Bet Kaji really wishes he had brought his patrol along now!
- Reed: Try anything funny and you'll regret it.
- Kaji: ...Yeah, ya all let yer guard down...
- Kaji: Except for one person here.
- Reed: ...
- Kaji: But I don't intend to fight ya again.
- Kaji: I swear on me precious ship that yer takin' hostage.
- Kaji: So... ya can stop pointin' that dangerous thing this way.
- Reed: Nah. Don't think I will.
- Reed: But seeing as you quietly put up with this 'charade' for so long...
- Reed: Are you really willing to hear us out all the way through?
- Kaji: I am.
- Kaji: Might be in me best interests to do just that.
- Kaji: Let's talk like equals, why don't we.
He should be intimidated! Silent! Shivering in fear from your might!
Yet, it's as if he's the one sparing your lives.
Meimona: Consider returning what you "borrowed" and hear Kaji out, after all, Nino and the others seem trustworthy, especially Aria, and she has a stealth ability, allowing you new avenues, plus, the more people believing in your luck, the better you are! Though maybe you should wait until after you're done with Kaji for that.
Mei: Consider the prospects of an honest job. Stability, comfort, no more running, no more living on the edge, just a nice home in the suburbs.
Nino: Suggest adventuring as a profession.
Reed: Use your connections to expedite your escape.
Ludwig: Jumpscare Kaji
Kaji: Tell Mei of the fine she'll have to pay for all that stolen property.
Mei: ask Kaji to elaborate. Surely, you can just go be a thief elsewhere.
Kaji: Become the king of pirates.
Meimona: NO! *I* will become the king of pirates!
Nino: Remember that one episode of Galatic Princess Selene where they were on a ship and..