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> In arguments it’s okay to swear. Usually many times your words must be quick witted and sharp like a rapier, other times, you just need bash your enemies skulls in with the metaphorical folding chair to get you point across. -- Anon Guest

Arguments are peculiar things. Some people believe that the winner is the one who remains calm and logical and debates all relevant points with scientific sources, and the loser is the first one to drop a sample of foul language. This is, of course, the perspective of people with no skin in the game and nothing to lose.

Other, more rational people know that arguments come from places of passion on _both_ sides, and accept a certain amount of foul language. It serves the purpose of emphasis, emotional venting, and filler words as the arguer figures out the next phrase to drop from their mouths. If you're articulate, they say, you're doing it wrong.

Then there's the Loudest Wins versus the Calm Rational Debater, which is always fun for the spectators. One keeps the words flowing, as many per minute as they can, at the most volume that they can, while the other keeps attempting to interject in a calm and rational voice. The louder one moves ahead, claiming that the quiet one is interrupting and starting their train of thought barrelling through again and again whilst also making a mockery of the quiet logician.

Each of them arguing in opposite ways, each of them thinking that they're winning.

This particular circlejerk of illogic had been going on for some time, judging by the spectators. Station Security had gently herded them, still arguing, into a form of lecture theatre with strong elements of arena present in the seating, and someone was making money selling sound-reduction aural mufflers for multiple species. Someone else was selling cheap carbohydrate snacks.

Someone else had set up a scoreboard based on actual points of logic. So far, it was a nil-all draw.

Some spectators had made camp. Some were taking notes. Some were having a completely different argument about how much time had elapsed since the alleged debate began. Somehow, the key duo in this scene were oblivious to it all.

Some Humans are just that self-centred.

At possibly Hour Seven -it _was_ a matter of some small debate- something happened to tip the scales. The Volume side broke their voice. Mid word, all that came out was a strangled croak, and a lot of coughing, and then they didn't have a working voice any more.

The calm debater handed over a large bulb of tea. "Now that you are adequately prepared to listen, I shall go over each of your alleged points in alphabetical order.

The Humans have a saying for everything. In the case of this debate, it was, _If you can't stun 'em with sound waves, baffle 'em with bullshit._

By all accounts, the Calm Debater was still holding the floor in their improvised lecture some ten hours later, with breaks for beverages and visits to the bathroom.

[Image <a href="https://www.canstockphoto.com">(c) Can Stock Photo / ribah2012</a>]

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