“He’s not a failure, and people aren’t tools. Casper is amazing, he’s kind and funny and sweet, and he’s worth twelve of you! I don’t care about him to use him, I care about him because he’s himself!” He’s still kind of trying not to out their relationship to Sr. since Casper had said they were just friends. “Just because assholes keep hurting him doesn’t mean there’s something wrong with him, it means there’s something wrong with you! Normal people don’t treat their children like that!”

Shang Beida brings Kao Ci back around into his hands, catching hold of it and holding it up in a guard position, because at this point he feels better with his sword with him. He runs through the contents of his sleeves in his mind, trying to decide what might be most helpful.