Intro Log!

[daddyscythe]

Characters: OPEN to new arrivals and NPCS.
Where: En route to Casualty Communal
Rating: Gen
Time: February 11 onwards
Description: Welcome to Death City!


The city was in good shape today, despite the recent attack to it and the unfortunate earthquake a month back. The damages to the city had been repaired best as they could, and everything else was covered in a healthy heap of decor for the upcoming Valentine’s Day.

Things were a bit somber, as was expected after so many of the residents lost their loved ones. Fortunately, if there was something Death City was good at, it was getting back on its feet after a fall.

[ooc: Player characters will also be joining the log. Everything after the sub thread Soul Perception is open to all characters.]

Comments

[ninjainviolet]

"Sounds like it's broken," Sheena observed. "Can't anyone fix it? Or is it like some ancient technology that no one knows about anymore?" As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she looked around quickly, searching for someone. For a moment, she thought that if she had been picked up, Raine might have been, too, and right now, Sheena really wasn't in the mood for "Ruin Mode."

"Name's Sheena, by the way. Sheena Fujibayashi," she told him, looking at her own communicator, listening and copying what he did with his. She was barely listening after a while, however, since something kept nagging at her. She remembered the moment the crowd parted and she spotted the red-haired man who had spoken. Indicating him with a nod, she said, "That man also said our powers had been taken and replaced." She looked at Gai intently. "I guess you're going to tell me that can't be changed, either.

[spandexisyouth]

"It is... It is the latter, but it is also not broken. BREW can only grant one wish at a time, and as the wish given to it was to end the war, it will pull until the wish is granted. Then it will move on to the next one, which will be to send us back." He shrugged. "It was a young man who had just lost his father to the war, so it is understandable."

Gai bowed his head. "And I am Maito Gai. It is a pleasure to meet you. And no. That cannot be changed either. My own are gone, changed by this place. But do not worry. There will be something else in its place. You will either be a Weapon or a Meister, which will be told to you later in the tour. Weapons change shape into something used to fight, and Meisters wield the Weapons. There is training to teach these things!"

[ninjainviolet]

She rolled her eyes. "Figures. You'd think people would leave behind notes that others can read later." Instead, one usually found barely legible cryptic messages or was forced to guess how things worked. Her eyes narrowed in thought. "'To end the war?' That's it? That was the wish?" She breathed a sigh of relief. "At least this machine didn't take the easy way out and destroy the planet." Or separate it into two planets. Sheena's expression grew a little softer at the revelation. She nodded, a sad, knowing smile touching her lips. "I do understand how he feels, so--kidnapped or not--I'm in." Like there was ever any real doubt about that...

And ironically, it had nothing to do with the chance of going home after. It had to do with who she was. She was a fighter and a protector of others' rights to live the way that they wanted, and if ending this war would grant them that wish, then she was all for it.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, too," she replied, nodding slightly as he confirmed that what she had sensed about him was true: Gai was a fighter like her. Now, she was torn between two curiosities, and decided to go with the obvious one. "People can change into weapons and someone else uses them? How--" She shook her head. "Never mind, I don't think I want to know how."

[spandexisyouth]

"I think that it occurs to no one that the knowledge might be lost." Gai nodded. "That... is a good point. It is a machine and so that would have been one way to end it." It made him feel good that someone was just... willing to join in. A lot weren't. Too many weren't.

"Which how? The use or the transformation? I am a Weapon and I can show you that, if you would like. And it is possible that in Soul Perception you will be approached by a Meister who can show you how that works! Or there is Morning Training, where we have many Meisters and Weapons and you can see both and partnerships!"

[ninjainviolet]

"And unfortunately, with a war on, no one can exactly go looking for it, can they?" She shrugged. "It would have been the simplest way, but maybe...things have gone too far for the easiest way out, you know?"

Gai certainly seemed to be ecstatic with this ability to change his shape, and if she were honest with herself, the idea intrigued her, too. It had to be the ninja in her. Tucking away her communicator, she said, "Not the use. I'm trained to use a few weapons, but how does someone turn into one? Do they utter some magic words or something?"

[spandexisyouth]

"With each person the first transformation is different. Some meditate, some throw themselves down stairs which mostly works but sometimes does not! So I would not recommend that! For me, I had to use one of my techniques from home. Or, that is, go through the steps of it. Now it is quick, the work of a moment. I focus, I know what is supposed to happen, and..." He stepped back and changed, dropping to the ground as a kusarigama. A moment later and he was in his own form again. "Most suggest meditating. If you are good at it, then I would suggest that too. If that does not work, I recommend trying something that you did in combat back home. That is, of course, if you are a Weapon! If you are a Meister it is much easier; you do not have to transform. You simply pick someone up that has changed! But if they feel too warm before your hand closes over them, you may not want to pick them up. If you do not resonate well with someone you try to use, they may burn your hand. Or worse."

[ninjainviolet]

Sheena watched, amazed. It seemed to happen in the blink of an eye--man one second, weapon the next. She breathed a mental sigh of relief over not giving into the urge to touch him--if what he said about being burnt was true. She shook her head when he transformed again, a small smile on her face.

"Overall, it sounds safer to be a Meister, but a little sneakier to be a weapon. I'm not sure which one I'd rather be...." She looked at him quizzically. "But what do you mean 'resonate'? Like have the right to wield them or something?"

[spandexisyouth]

Gai smiled back, shaking his head. "It has to do with souls. Each soul has a wavelength, and if the souls of a Meister and a Weapon are compatible, there will be a feeling of warmth, but not too much warmth. By resonating, the team can make their attacks more powerful and do more damage."

He frowned as he tried to figure out how to explain it better. "I could try to show you, but it may not work. If you are also a Weapon we will feel nothing, if we do not resonate at all we will feel nothing, and if our souls are not compatible it could burn. But if you would like, we can try."

[ninjainviolet]

She tilted her head as she listened, trying to put his explanation into something she could relate to. "You know, I'm a Summoner where I come from, and the Spirits called me the one with the 'Right to Make the Pact', since I was the only one who could. And the more we fought together, the stronger we became." She looked at him.

"Is this Meister/Weapon thing like that?"

[spandexisyouth]

He paused, trying to understand the thought behind her words even if he didn't really get some of what she was saying.

"The more you fight together, the stronger you will become with your partner. Yes. And it is in a way a pact because there must be trust on both sides! If one does not relate or rely on the other then it could fall apart in a bad way."

[ninjainviolet]

Sheena nodded. "That sounds like training, too. The more you practice something, the stronger and more confident you become." She gave him a surprised look. "Wow. That sounds exactly like what I do with the Spirits. If I break the pact with them, then someone else who has the ability--or 'right'--can make them.... Although, I'm the last person who can right now on my world."

She wanted to figure out a way for others to be able to do it because she couldn't guarantee her line would have the same abilities. Maybe with the jewels they gave her....

[spandexisyouth]

"And training is important in all things! In fact, there is training here! Morning training! I run it. We attempt to teach things for every level, and you can find partners there too!"

It was always sad to hear about the last on a world. There had been a few here who mentioned that, and Gai didn't want to think about how lonely that must be. "I... hope that it is a small comfort to know that there are many here who will be doing this, and that you are not alone in it?"

[ninjainviolet]

"Oh, I know about training. My grandfather trained me in his style from the moment I could walk. Mornings and afternoons. Nights were open just in case I wanted to put in my own practice," she laughed. "I was usually too tired to do so, but as I got older, I did it, and I learned how to be very quiet while doing so." Which was probably the reason behind that, anyway, since no one liked being awakened from a sound sleep. She wasn't going to ask how to find a partner--she figured it had to do with that resonance thing he mentioned, and that it would be explained in the morning class.

She nodded. "It is nice to know I'm not the only one going through this." She chuckled. "I just wonder if any of them are as clumsy as I am." Yep, a clumsy ninja.

[spandexisyouth]

Gai beamed. "My training was very similar! It was not my grandfather, but as soon as I was able to hold a weapon my sister and father were teaching me. I have steadily learned since then! And put a lot of my own training in!" It was about time another self-starter showed up, really.

The clumsiness, though. "I do not know if many are clumsy." At all. "But perhaps we can train that! And you can become less clumsy!"

[ninjainviolet]

"He had his vice-chief help with my training," Sheena said matter-of-factly and without a trace of arrogance. Tiga was more like an uncle to her, anyway. My whole "family" is not related by blood, she thought wryly. "I've also come up with my own training....which I'm going to have to find a substitute for. It involved my Fire Cards, which are gone."

She shook her head. "When I'm fighting, I'm not usually that clumsy. It's outside of battle that the klutz in me comes out." She looked at him. "On average, how many large holes does a person fall into in their life?"

[spandexisyouth]

"What training was that?" He'd come up with a few routines, for himself and his students both, and he was always looking for new techniques to master or adapt.

He blinked at the question, though. "Ah." His hand went to the back of his neck as he tried to figure out the answer. "...Average? ...None? I have never, and most people I know have never. There is only one who did to my knowledge and he is not getting out."

[ninjainviolet]

"Oh, endurance training. I use the heat from my Fire Cards to keep me up as I stand on my hands. It doesn't burn me if I fall, but it's still a good incentive to keep away from it."

She shook her head. "Well, you know one now. I've fallen in two in the past several months, and I have the feeling the last one wasn't the last one." She avoided mentioning the obvious point that she made it out and laughed instead. "I'm not sure why it happens...I might be just too focused on something at the time, that I don't see it." In other words--she's stubborn.

[spandexisyouth]

"Oh! But then you can still work on your endurance in the same way without the threat! Just say that if you do not stand up on your hands long enough that you will have to do fifty push-ups! And then you will be more fit in other ways too!" That was Gai's approach, and he was rather proud of it.

Gai considered. "Have you tried perhaps not focusing so much on one thing? That is easier said than done, but if you keep falling into holes you will get hurt!"

[ninjainviolet]

Sheena wasn't sure if that method would work for her, but she promised she would at least try it. "Other than Morning Training, is there a dojo or something where I can practice, too?" She didn't want her skills with other weapons to become rusty, just in case she needed to fight, and hand-to-hand wasn't an option.

She nodded. "I try, and sometimes it works, but... Well, it's a long story, but I always felt the need to accomplish my goal no matter what." She laughed. "I know. I've been lucky that so far; I've only gotten dirty. I guess it pays to know how to land and fall."

[spandexisyouth]

Gai shook his head. "You can go to the training ground, but there aren't many weapons. Only those on the Watch are allowed to carry them, and there are those that are used for training itself, which means that there is no place to train with weapons."

He smiled widely. "I know what it is to focus and wish to accomplish goals! Perhaps you can avoid falling into holes while here! That would be good!"

[ninjainviolet]

Sheena stood in thought about that. "So, it would be against a law or something if I carried a weapon on me?" She used to have daggers in her boots that she missed carrying, but if there was a rule against it, then she'd have to get over it. And start relying on using everyday objects as weapons.

"Actually, Gai. Not falling into holes would be wonderful," she laughed.

[spandexisyouth]

"That is part of it. It would be frowned on by Shibusen. But the other part is scarcity. I have yet to find a set of shuriken that is well-made and well-balanced, and they need to have the same weight and balance to them all in order to be effective. ...And there are not even many unmatched sets." He shrugged. "If you join the Watch, which is a very useful thing... Or... most of the time it is, then you can get a weapon or few that you are used to."

[ninjainviolet]

She nodded as he spoke about weapons. "I know what you mean, but if they're so scarce, where does the Watch get them? And are they even any good?" She'd hate to have a weapon that wasn't crafted well if she joined the group.

[spandexisyouth]

"From what I understand, it is that the good ones go directly to the Watch. And they are good." He pulls out his nunchuks to show her, holding them out in case she wished to take them for a moment. The balance was perfect, the wood was well-chosen and tended to with clear care, and they were sturdy. Gai was rather happy with them.

[ninjainviolet]

She nodded to him before taking the weapon and weighing them slightly. They weren't heavy, but they were solid and well-balanced. She could tell he took very good care of them with one glance. Returning them to him, she said, "You know, when I was a child, I hated taking care of my weapons. Cleaning and sharpening, looking for nicks... As I grew older, I appreciated the effort I put into that work, since it meant that those weapons were truly mine and a part of me, and taking care of them was like taking care of myself."