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Waking the Dead 2.0 || May 19, 2063 (Saturday) || Friendship in the cups.
[It's a little after lunch with the Shinta Clan that Kasumi Aoi makes an interesting suggestion: that the War Hounds wile the afternoon hours away in good company with their mentors, former or otherwise, that can make it. Invitations are easy; she can handle them.
So, there you have it: doing things the Japanese way, talking over sake, nibbling idly on onigiri and whatever else. The rest of the household has left you alone. This is quality time with the people who have watched your back, and taught you whatever they could.]
OOC Notes
+ Each thread here is for one-on-one conversations between players and their respective mentors. Group shenanigans can be played out on the table, if you guys like.
+ Noey and I are going to bring his conversation with Malia on the table!
Tohru & Taning
Oh, and yeah, perhaps getting to talk to his student is a good idea too.]
So. [Saying this in a low voice, as he studies the rest of them from over the rim of his cup.] Your assessment of the other members of your blade thus far?
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Is this a personality assessment or a combat assessment or a vulnerability assessment?
[Damn, Taning, that's cold.]
Personality-wise, Brig is a do-gooder with a DIY streak, Kaz is a reformed center of attention who is, still, striving to live up to the ridiculous expectations he has set for himself, Yulia is an ice queen slowly getting thawed, Brianna is a slippery social butterfly with an uncannily disarming ditz act, and Josh is a mother hen-sorta guy with something to prove.
In combat, Brig has been content to use sheer physical force to do the most damage; he has not used Azoth in an engagement that I've been with him in, so far, mostly because he hasn't needed to; he is crafty enough to always bring a Vice Battery-powered taser with him for healing and to power the party mage. [He grins incongruously at "party" mage.] Yulia has seen fit to use her superior dexterity and skill with knives in order to quickly overwhelm opponents; she, as well, has had no significant use of her Vitae thus far. Brianna is quite competent with guns; with further instruction, she can, I believe, be one of the better marksmen Netsach has seen; again, her glamours have not seen much use as yet. Kaz, since losing the Wings of Therion, is re-learning how to properly fight; he'll get there, once he gains the benedictions I believe would give him the self-confidence to assert himself in a fight. Josh has acted as a mobile command center the past few engagements, since his Sin-Eater abilities make him perfect for the role.
[He takes a sip of sake, then clears his throat. The next part isn't something he is comfortable discussing.]
Vulnerability assessment. As I have not yet been able to provide Brig with the fire-nullification charm I promised, he is still quite vulnerable to fire. Kaz is practically a deadwalker at this point; his combat capability is the lowest among the blade and he is probably going to be the softest target in any engagement in terms of offensive and defensive balance. Brianna is a soft target, though she is the ranged fighter among us, and a Changeling to boot; any opponent that can see through illusion, however, can deal with her decisively given adequate preparation. Josh, given his role, is best taken out from far out, beyond the range of his Boneyard ability; aside from that, his combat capability is on par with Kaz. Yulia is a very capable melee fighter, but she suffers from the inherent Bladian weaknesses; a patient hunter with more skill than her in concealment and ranged weaponry can easily take her down, if alone.
I hope you found the assessments comprehensive enough.
[And he would never have volunteered this information if he believed for a moment that Tohru planned to harm any of his blademates.]
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That Taning actually went out of the way to include discussing his own friend's vulnerabilities is good. Tohru would have been disappointed if he hadn't.
He doesn't speak for a while. Then, swinging his cup in the proper directions for reference:]
That one and that one. I am watching them.
[Brigade and Joshua.]
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And then he thinks about it. Perhaps it's not a matter of personal capability, but of connections...?
He knows that Brig has been spending a lot of time with Hikaru lately. Okay, yes, that would explain Tohru's interest in him perfectly. Not to mention that thing that he saw yesterday. Brig and Kasumi, eh? Okay. Another potential minefield right there.
How about Josh? That's puzzling for more than one reason. For one thing, Josh is harmless. Well, relatively so, compared to Brig at least.... But then he realizes that he's measuring strength by its more prosaic manifestations. Josh's strengths lie in the social. And yes, he's been someone who's spent a lot of time with Hikaru as well.
One thing about his shisho, his devotion to his son and Blade King is serious business.]
Ah. You are worried about how their interaction with Hikaru-san could be more harmful than beneficial?
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[Which is more than enough to put up every single red flag in Tohru's brain. He doesn't like not knowing. And not knowing makes him investigate, and look into every single possibility.]
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To be perfectly fair to the both of them, sir, I think their hearts are in the right place. [And not for ripping out, please.]
Unless they're faced with Taskforce Valkyrie. In that case I don't know if I can say what they would do.
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[Hm. Valkyrie.
Not going to comment on that just yet.]
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If it wasn't for good intent, this world would be a lot more dirty and troubled than it is now. As I'm sure you know. Apologies for the impertinence. [Not really sounding apologetic, though.]
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Both must be balanced. Hence, their actions will need to speak as loudly as their intent to me.
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[He's not so stupid, though, that he doesn't know that it goes both ways. Good and bad are equally loud.]
May I ask why you are asking, shisho?
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[It has not hit a point of concern just yet, but Tohru is the kind of person who likes to make sure that it never gets there. Not if he has something that he can do about it.]
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[...Yeah, he's not going to deny that first part of Taning's statement. There is no need to lie.]
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[An extremely faint nimbus, only visible at this range to Tohru through the haze of cigarette smoke, appears around Taning. It is black thunderclouds alive with red lightning. Taning is unaware that he does this, again].
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Very well.
[Then, softly:]
Control yourself.
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My apologies. That was both impolite and dangerous, were I speaking to someone I didn't trust.
[Yes, that's a backhanded statement of faith.]
Thank you. I swore an oath to your son, Brother Wolf, too. I won't let him come to harm. Not on my watch.
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[Downing his cup now.]
He will give you a run for your money. It is only fair that I warn you.
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He pours Tohru another cup, as he downs his own and refills it as well.]
I'm certain he will. What he probably would not expect, especially from one such as I, is that I might give him a run for his money as well.
[He shrugs, as if it ain't no thang.]
Yulia likes calling me an old dog. I don't mind; it's probably true. Every implication of that metaphor, I freely accept. In any case, [He smiles a warm-ish smile.] Hikaru's practically our honorary blademate.
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Might I forward a suggestion to you, then?
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I think I will. Thank you. The more people who are interested in his well-being, the better, right?
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[Especially if they're people who know how to move through the world properly. Taning is getting there, at any rate...]
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I was thinking of joining the Morticians. If I am to meddle with Hikaru-san's well-being, might as well make a career of it, eh?
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[Hum.]
When Kuzunoha is more willing to speak to the lot of you, you may want to pick his brain for pointers. He used to lead their division.
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