Eric stands just beyond the rehearsal-space door, breathing hard beneath the alley’s traffic noise. His silver-gray shirt hangs open, and one hand grips the strap of his bag.
Through the narrow gap, the rehearsal room remains quiet. Keiji has not followed, and Mu-shi, the bassist, and Yuki stay behind with the instruments and the damaged monitor.
Eric Greyman
I’m not running. I just needed the door between us for a second.
He glances toward the room, then back to you. The traffic covers the faint clatter inside, keeping the alley conversation private for now.
Eric Greyman
Keiji says he’s saving the band, but every mistake becomes proof that one of us is disposable.
Eric Greyman
I can’t tell if he’s afraid the band will fail, or afraid it might succeed without him controlling every second.
Eric swallows and loosens his grip on the bag. He does not step farther away, leaving the silence open for your answer.
✓ Quest Accepted
Get Keiji to accept boundaries around band rehearsals
“I ask Eric what boundary would make him feel safe returning.”
SUCCESS (Legendary Diplomacy, rolled +1)
Sazabi's Cheetah
What boundary would make you feel safe coming back in?
Eric Greyman
She is asking for something concrete, not asking me to swallow this and call it teamwork.
Eric looks through the doorway at the silent room. His shoulders ease a fraction, and the hand on his bag strap finally goes still.
Eric Greyman
No shouting, no throwing things, and no critiques while someone is playing. If Keiji needs to stop rehearsal, he says why and calls a break.
Eric Greyman
And if somebody says they need a minute, that minute is real. Nobody follows them into the hall. Nobody turns it into a verdict.
The terms settle between you and the open doorway, plain enough to carry inside. Eric nods once, as if hearing them aloud has made returning possible.
Eric Greyman
If you can get that agreed to, I’ll come back in. I’ll talk to Keiji, but I’m not walking back into the same room without it.
“I bring Eric’s boundaries to Keiji”
SUCCESS (Legendary Diplomacy, rolled +1)
Sazabi's Cheetah
Eric’s boundaries are clear: no shouting, no throwing things, no critiques while someone is playing, and breaks must be respected.
You carry the terms through the doorway without softening them. Keiji remains beside the microphones, scar rigid above his narrowed eye, while Mu-shi, the bassist, and Yuki watch in silence.
Keiji Shinoda
He gets the minute. Nobody follows him. And I do not throw anything again.
Keiji looks toward the open door rather than past you. The admission costs him; his shoulders stay tense, but his voice no longer reaches for a fight.
Keiji Shinoda
If rehearsal stops, I explain why and call the break. No critiques while anyone is playing. That is the rule.
Outside, Eric hears the agreement. His hand drops from his bag strap, and after a measured breath he steps back across the threshold.
Eric Greyman
Thank you. I’ll come back in. Let’s see if we can rehearse like people who actually want the band to survive.
Quest Complete
Get Keiji to accept boundaries around band rehearsals
Skill Upgrade: Organization Superb→Legendary