[b][i]Ken to Dr. Nightman[/i][/b]

“It’s the latter,” Ken said, “And you still have not explained why your reviews have the tone they did, which adds fuel to the fire that is already there. And no, I do not see enemies hiding behind [i]every[/i] shadow, I see enemies hiding behind the most… suitable shadows from whence they can strike. As it is, while I am technically an Imperial Prince or even an Imperial Claimant, that’s not the only reason why I feel so paranoid.”

He then fixed a glare at Dr. Nightman, even as he measured the distance between his fist and the man’s face and whether the desk proved to be any obstruction. He also thought of tipping over the desk to unbalance the other man if he proved to be hostile. Nevertheless, Ken felt a need to talk about his psyche and its inner workings anyway, just in case the ‘therapist’ proved to be genuine [i]or[/i] knew enough psychology that he can trick some actual advice from the guy. So the boy continued.

“I have ‘Main Protagonist Syndrome’, or rather, I suspect I have it. This is basically an unrecognized variant of ‘Narcissistic Personality Syndrome’, but the effects are the same: I see myself as a protagonist in a story centered around me but I am self-aware enough to know that [i]it is a bad thing[/i]. I see myself acting out and trying to be ‘top dog’ in my group of friends or trying to ‘fix’ problems they are capable of fixing on their own or even trying to make their own problems all about myself and how I am affected.”

The boy shuddered with self-loathing. “And I don’t want that. I don’t want to harm my friends just because I want greatness or the feeling of greatness and I’d rather cut out my own heart than hurt them. So fraud or not, I know full well you know enough psychology or just ‘raw people skills’ to either one: [i]Help anyway[/i], or two, take advantage of this tendency to further some sort of ulterior agenda. For example, offering me a Quest to fight an ‘Evil Greater than the Ancient Evil’ or telling me about someone with a tragic backstory I can’t help but want to fix. After that, whether I succeed or fail, you gain something even if it is amusement.”

He then paused for a few seconds before saying, “Of course, it could be that the fact I think I’m important enough for someone to manipulate in such a long convoluted way means that I [i]am[/i] a narcissist and the fact that I think in terms of tropes is evidence of much deeper mental issues than I already have. But enough about me - Please answer why your reviews are the way they are and present proof you’re not a threat to me or furthering some plot which will eventually harm my friends or [i]die right now[/i].”

Ken activated Gimlé then, and the ring cloaked him in a golden aura which when amplified by his [i]real[/i] Blessing, ought to protect him from magical and physical counterattacks. Of course, he didn’t have a weapon, but he can always smash ‘Dr. Nightman’s’ head with the nameplate he had on his desk… Unless Dr. Nightman gave proof that he was sincere, of course.

[@KillamriX88][@Dezuel][@Lewascan2]