Conversation · Kim Kitsuragi

"No, you've misunderstood me. My father didn't hit me. I don't have any personal trauma."

"THIS DENIAL DOES NOT SERVE YOUR SPIRIT. YOU ARE LIKE A DOG WITH ITS TAIL BETWEEN ITS LEGS. IT IS VISIBLE TO ALL. IT IS VISIBLE TO WOMEN AND THE REASON WHY YOU HAVEN'T FOUND A WORTHY MATE. OR WHY THE WORTHY MATE WAS STOLEN FROM YOU."

Strange... there are no memories of that recorded anywhere in your body. He's making it up.

He's making it up to gain an unfair advantage over you in sexual -- and possibly financial -- competition. Slip out of his reach!

It's more likely that your father wasn't even around to beat you.

It wasn't your father who beat you, it was the world.

"THIS IS A WEAKNESS I CAN EMPATHISE WITH. YOU HAVE MY PITY. TAKE SOLACE IN IT."

"Maybe you're right, maybe my father did hit me... The thing is, I don't really remember."

"YOU DON'T HAVE TO REMEMBER. YOU ARE LIKE A DOG WITH ITS TAIL BETWEEN ITS LEGS. IT IS VISIBLE TO ALL. IT IS VISIBLE TO WOMEN AND THE REASON WHY YOU HAVEN'T FOUND A WORTHY MATE. OR WHY THE WORTHY MATE WAS STOLEN FROM YOU."

"This talk about physical violence between fathers and sons is suddenly making me uncomfortable."

"THIS IS BECAUSE YOU STILL CARRY THE SIGNS OF A VIOLENT PAST. YOU ARE LIKE A DOG WITH ITS TAIL BETWEEN ITS LEGS. IT IS VISIBLE TO ALL. IT IS VISIBLE TO WOMEN AND THE REASON WHY YOU HAVEN'T FOUND A WORTHY MATE. OR WHY THE WORTHY MATE WAS STOLEN FROM YOU."

Smells like physical violence...

(Nod thoughtfully.) "Soft and hard -- I see..."

What's written on the toothbrushes?

One of them is labelled 'Martha' and the other one -- which appears to be a chewing bone -- has 'Jairzinho' carved into it. A shadow falls over the ceramic tumbler...

Look up.

An imposing figure with almost mythical proportions fills the entire room. He's hunched over the sink and muscles, like waves on the ocean, roll under his skin with even the smallest of movements.

Roll or twitch? That guy must be juicing. No way he's natural!

Wait, 'juicing'?

Big time. TRT, growth hormones, Graadian power injections -- he's on all of them.

Did somebody say PERFORMANCE ENHANCERS?!

What is he doing?

Shaving -- or about to chop firewood because... Oh, he is shaving! Sliding an enormous axe blade down his bristly chin -- with grunts accompanying the process. Steam is emanating from his naked body... The image blurs.

He wasn't even using soap... incredible.

"It's about love."

"RENOUNCING THE GHOUL IS ALREADY CLEARING THE FOG FROM YOUR MIND. DON'T THINK I DIDN'T NOTICE. MEN ONLY WANT TO REVERSE TIME FOR ONE REASON -- LOVE."

"THEY SAY IT'S ABOUT HONOUR, JUSTICE, REVENGE, REGRET, REDEMPTION, AND A PLETHORA OF FALSE REASONS, BUT FURTHER BACK -- DEEPER IN -- IT IS ALWAYS LOVE THAT DRIVES THEM."

"I CAN BARELY HEAR YOUR WORDS THROUGH THE VOICE OF AL-GUL, BUT IT SPEAKS TRUTH. MEN ONLY WANT TO REVERSE TIME FOR ONE REASON -- LOVE."

"It's about her." (Nod solemnly.) "Revachol."

"I really need to find a way to turn back time."

"WE ALREADY ESTABLISHED THAT. TELL ME, WHAT DRIVES YOU TO SEARCH FOR SUCH FANTASTIC MEASURES?"

(Shrug.) "No reason, I just want to turn back time."

(Nod first.) "Women."

"WOMEN," he repeats.

"I don't really like women."

"AND? THAT'S WHAT YOU WANTED TO TALK ABOUT? THAT YOU DON'T LIKE WOMEN?"

"I don't really like women, only their rights."

"AND? THAT'S WHAT YOU WANTED TO TALK ABOUT? THAT YOU ARE A DISTURBED GENDER PARITY ACTIVIST?"

How do I get him to talk to me mano-a-mano?

It's obvious -- you need to steer the conversation to the topic that interests him the most. Something that he'd like to discuss with another man, in private...

Othen than race science, what else do you think he's into?

Light bondage?

Tattoos?

Perhaps socialism, seeing that he's working for the Union...

Wirral. A guy so engrossed with various races has to play pen-and-paper role-playing games.

Sadomasochism?

Probably not. Women however... He's surrounded himself not with one or two, but three stellar babes.

What's more, all these girls seem to be Kojkos. What's up with that? You have to find out what's his deal with Graad...

"Listen... there's something personal I'd like to discuss with you."

"PERSONAL?" He seems bemused.

"It's about..." (Slowly run your eyes over the girls.) "...stuff."

"Pervo! You're gonna let him eye-fuck me like that, Jean?" She wrinkles her nose as if smelling something foul.

"YOU MEAN THE BABES. I SEE." He appears to be calculating something.

"PERHAPS WE SHOULD TALK IN PRIVATE. COME WITH ME."

Wait, where is he taking you?!

What about the lieutenant?

What about the case?! You don't have time for this, at least not right now... maybe later...

"Where are you taking me?"

"TO THE DEEPEST CAVERNS BENEATH LA ROYAUME, WHERE EYELESS CREATURES, IGNORANT OF LIGHT AND WARMTH, LURK AND SLITHER."

Wait, is this a joke?!