I was… confused.
"What's with the fanfare?" I said, coming to a halt.
Michael, who looked annoyed by the uproar like a drunk after a hangover, almost bumped into me and groaned. "I told you to dock at night! I told you! Were you really not expecting something like this?"
I frowned. "No, obviously I expected the world to recognize my brilliance eventually, but I thought it would happen much later in my life. Why are they screaming my name now?"
The black-haired boy looked like he wanted to sigh and slap me at the same time. "They love you, you emotionally constipated idiot."
"That doesn't feel right," I said thoughtfully. "They should fear me."
The awful din really was too loud with too many people shouting at the top of their lungs, cheering and chanting, thumping their feet and roaring their throats raw.
I winced and raised one hand as if motioning for them to calm down a bit. They all immediately did so. "Aha! See, they fear me!"
Michael blinked at me, deadpan.
