tushanshu | [VOICE | Backdated Pre-Event] Survey

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[VOICE | Backdated Pre-Event] Survey

[You wanna play it this say, Raph? Taking surveys to prove a point? Fine. Let's play.

It's not about who cares - well okay, to be fair, that's the MAIN reason they developed such fine-tuned stealth skills in the first place. But that's not the only reason a ninja should stay hidden. With enemies who would probably not announce themselves first, who would see him and his brothers on the Network and then proceed to silently hunt them down one by one...

The last time the team faced Shredder, he nearly killed them all, starting with Leonardo himself; the memory of seeing the intent in Oruku's eyes while facing down his blade remained a deeply chilling moment. But now Leo's team is down by one, they're not always together and they can't just stay underground here. If Shredder found one of them out in Keeliai, alone, with no way to contact the others for help...]

How many people have had their enemies show up.

[A question with the cadence of a statement. That's how you know he's serious, apparently.

If this survey turns up zilch? Leo will have to concede the point completely. But he doesn't really suppose that'll be the case. Let's find out.]

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[Hey, strong grip. Leo knows she's a fighter, and he certainly knows better than to underestimate someone due to their height. Any opponent who thinks that of his brothers soon learns better - especially with Raphael, the second-shortest. Yeah, never underestimate based on stature.

He smiles at the respectful small talk, able to tell she's being polite. It's charming, and Leo appreciates the thought, even though he's perfectly willing to address the subject at hand.]

It's... different. I mean, we get a lot more sun now, and I guess it's kind of nice not needing to worry about people freaking out if they see us, or getting caught on camera, but...

Well, I don't want us to get used to it. We shouldn't fall into careless habits, it's dangerous. [Despite his grim words and serious tone, Leo turns a friendly smile as he uses the topic to segue into what he knows she's here for.] Anyway, secrecy is a vital part of ninjitsu. With patience, skill and stealth, you can overcome nearly any opponent, no matter how formidable. [Leo's parroting some of Splinter's old lectures, and it's clear from his tone he's paraphrasing truths in which he's been steeped his entire life.]

[Lara still finds it difficult to wrap her mind around the fact that anyone would have to spend their lives in total secrecy...Okay, she could understand it if it was a villain trying to lay low, but Leonardo didn't seem to be that kind of character.

Different worlds, she supposed, but it did seem a little unfair.

In spite of that her attention was riveted as he began to explain ninjitsu to her, well, the setealth also explained the preference for the secrecy. If your art meant practicing caution in movement then revealing yourself would be counter intuitive, wouldn't it?]

Ah [and she laughed a little, mostly at herself because she just realized that his approach was meant to be startling] you seem to be very good at what you do then. I like to think I have pretty good hearing, but I didn't know you were here until you wanted me to know.

Right! Not being seen until you want to be seen is Ninjitsu 101. [Leo confirms, pleasantly surprised at her quick grasp of basic principles. Lara's bright. She's also spot-on about the turtles' social status; it shouldn't be that way but until now it's simply the way things have had to be. Leo appreciates the lack of utter ostracization now that he's come to know a few people, but he'll never be fully comfortable being seen in the open.] And yeah, I'm - pretty good. That happens when you're trained by a Grand Master for fifteen years.

[As interesting as it is to talk to somebody a full head shorter than himself, Leo's finding it a little awkward - he's SO not used to that extreme a height difference - and finds an outcrop to sit on. There, that's better, now she doesn't have to look up and he can see her face straight-on.]

Like I was saying... ninjitsu isn't really about the weapons. Actually, weapons are just the icing on the cake. [Leo often chooses to fight without his swords so he can use his hands freely, and he beats armed opponents that way on a regular basis.] It's about overcoming the enemy with strategy, patience and skill. Power doesn't mean much if you can't apply it, and you don't have to be the strongest to win.

[Leo smirks, thinking of some of their enemies.] Actually, we beat enemies "stronger" than us all the time. You can't hurt what you can't hit. [Taking a direct blow from Dog Pound's strong arm is a strict no-no. The guy cracks pavement when he misses a turtle.]

[It's more than a little unnerving that most of the island's population outstrip her in the height department, so being able to talk at eye level is a nice change of pace. It's comforting not having to be waist deep in the world every now and then, though there are a couple of kids out there that she could relate to height wise.]

Utilizing a strategy would mean you'd have to have a diverse arsenal to work with in order to adapt to any situation. [Lara was able to extrapolate that much just based on the techniques that Leo had mention so far. Stealth, the use of weapons, strategy...skill. Skill implied a number of things.]

So...against a lumbering enemy with great physical power, it might be better to use speed? [Lara chose her own spot to sit, using the temporary break in her thoughts in order to find a decent sized boulder--it was a little distance away, but Chaos Control could fix that. Encompassing her makeshift seat in a green light enabled her to levitate it a little closer, dropping it a few feet away from her companion before climbing up and arranging herself comfortably.]

Sensei says that anything can be a weapon. A true ninja is a master not only of himself, but of his environment. [There's his "quoting Splinter" voice again. In truth, Leo's arsenal is his brothers. He puts them where he needs them to make their strategy work, tactics which may need to change at a moment's notice.

Well, them plus all the pointy things he carries. Hands, feet and shell all work too.

It's a little charming as she comes up with basic strategic truths, ones that Leo considers fundamental to any battle. Yet Lara-Su is a warrior who's beaten enemies she considers dangerous; it's an interesting dichotomy and he wonders what her home arena, so to speak, is really like.]

Absolutely, and for us, speed is always important. Put it this way, you'll never meet a... er... a slow ninja. [He nearly loses track of what he's saying as Lara levitates a heavy rock without so much as breaking a sweat.]

And I'm guessing that would be your Chaos trick.

[Training had been significantly different for Lara-Su, especially given the fact that she'd only been in training for a couple of years. Guardians typically begin much earlier, her father was about three when he started...and yet for many years Knuckles had forbade her, wanting to end the guardian line...so it took a lot of begging (no one needs to know that).

While her Chaos training is coming along smoothly, her hand-to-hand combat skills could use a lot of refining. She basically wings her way through most physical fights and relies mostly on her strength.]

That sensei of yours sounds pretty like a pretty awesome person, that's some profound words of wisdom...I take it you have to be hyper aware of your surroundings...[It might be pretty cool to meet someone capable of leaving that kind of impression...

...but as the conversation switched gears, Lara-Su glanced down at her seat, nodding her head and looking completely amused by Leonardo's reaction to her Chaos Control.]

Got it in one, that's my trick...it makes it very easy to skip rocks you know. It's only one though, I make energy spears and freeze things in time...it comes in handy when you want to preserve food.

[Leo just smiles in confirmation of Lara-Su’s evaluation of his father. He can’t talk about who Splinter really is - other than not being his story to tell, some things were simply never mentioned outside family - but his regard and admiration for Sensei need no words.

As the echidna lists the uses of her talent, past scenarios flit through Leonardo’s mind. Freezing time would have been useful in countless situations, not to mention a flexible arsenal.]

Energy spears, huh. Does that mean a spear is your favorite weapon? Or would you rather, er - [Leo indicates the rock she’d relocated and gestures] - throw boulders at the bad guys?

[Oh, he’s proud of that alliteration. Maybe only his brothers could pick up on the fact he's trying a little too hard to be cool, but inwardly Leonardo self-congratulates his word choice.]

[He managed to wring a laugh out of her if nothing else, because battle preference is just one of those casual conversations.]

Y-you know, this is the first time I've ever really thought about it...but it's possible that the energy spears chose me...you think that's possible? [Hey, she seems impressed, or maybe it's just because she can't tell he's trying to be cool because he already seems cool to her.] Though I gotta admit, I think throwing boulders is a pretty bad way to take out a bad guy, I kinda like it.

[Uh-oh. Once Leo figures out she thinks he's cool, there will be no end of showing off and bad catchphrases.]

Well, Sensei always said that no weapon chooses you as much as you choose it. But, personally? [Leo smiles, lopsided with wry confidence, and glances over his right shoulder at the red-braided hilts of his chosen weapons.] Nothing else feels right.

Maybe we should feel bad for them - that could do some pretty bad damage! [He grins and winks, entirely too proud of himself.]

[She'll try not to let him know, but no promises can be made there.]

I wish I could say I was really using a weapon, but I think that's just how my abilities have manifested. [She too glanced over Leo's shoulder giving the swords a curious look. Choosing the weapon, it was a pretty curious thing to her.] I think I'm a little bit like my grandfather, he always liked using his fists...he said it felt cleaner...though I think he meant it felt like it was fair.

Feel bad for them? Weeeeeeeellllll I guess I could be merciful. [She laughed a little bit at that.] Maybe, just a little bit...tiny bit. Okay...so we'll nix the boulder and trap them in a ball of chaos energy...it would make a great game of 4 Square.

[He WOULD enjoy having a fan club, even if the only member is one precocious echidna. Leonardo catches the glance at his katana and is sorely tempted to show off, even though he really shouldn't.]

Do you know how to fight with normal weapons? Er - not that there's anything wrong with fists. That's one weapon that'll never get knocked out of your grasp.

[Leonardo's eyes sharpen at her comment about fairness. Splinter's lecture on the topic had left too strong an impression for him to let her get away with the same misconception.]

Only fight fair if you're prepared to lose [he warns. Then Leonardo grins]. But trapping your enemies in a ball of chaos energy doesn't sound very fair. How's that work out for you? [The grin sharpens with a keen sense of mischief.] Need another player?

[She wouldn't mind seeing a little sword exhibition, not that she would say as much.]

Not really, no, I do have knuckle claws...but that still counts as fists huh?

[Of course Lara-Su would take any measures necessary to protect her home because that was her job, but excessive force went against what she believed was right.] Is that lesson one? [Still, she was a novice, and that was pretty sound advice so she nodded sagely in acknowledgement.]

No...no it doesn't sound fair, but it is kind of fun...[She may look guilty, she's totally unrepentant.]...and it usually works out pretty well, I'll have to show you sometime, if...you know...we ever come across a badguy! [It works on misbehaving children as well, but she'll keep that one to herself, instead she'll return that grin with one of her own.] It's a lot more fun with two players, or more.

[Knuckle claws. They've hardly escaped Leo's attention, but with the topic of weapons, he's reminded of just how deadly that basic concept can be in the hands of a skilled master. A lot of things are deadly when backed by the appropriate skill.]

They still count all right. But some of the most dangerous warriors I've met prefer fists. [Of course, they were typically (but not always) reinforced with brass knuckles, spikes, or full-on blades. In fact, if Lara is observant, she may notice that some of the comparatively recent scrapes on Leo's plastron are parallel blade marks spanning the width of a hand or forearm.

If - and when, as is increasingly becoming likely - they talk more on the subject of fairness, Lara-Su will find that Leo advocates not so much excessive force as he does simply stacking the deck.

When she calls his advice a lesson, Leo blinks in mild surprise, then chuckles and rubs the back of his neck. He hadn't consciously meant to take her under his wing, but it seems to have happened anyway. Leo doesn't mean to be picking up trainees or students, but he seems to be developing a talent for finding good people who just need a little advice to make most of their abilities. And having a good-natured, idealistic hero personality in the first place, Leonardo wants to do the right thing and give his fellow heroes an extra edge over the villains.]

Heh, I guess it is. [A thoughtful look of consideration mellows his expression into something no less amicable, but a little more serious.]

Look, Lara… I can't teach you to be a ninja. But if you'd like – I don't think Sensei would mind if I gave you a few pointers.

[His tone makes it clear that this isn't lightly-offered. They might not have known each other long, but Lara-Su is quite clearly a hero where she comes from. It's a big responsibility to assume tutelage – particularly for Leo's secretive clan – and yet somehow, knowing what he does of her, it wouldn't feel responsible not to.

Leo's a responsible kind of guy.]

Edited ( fairness! // on second thought: cool ninja icon! // DONE NOW I SWEAR) 2013-07-08 07:22 (UTC)

[No ninja icon for Lara-Su, but here, but there's always this, the Echidna equivalent of a ninja.]

Oh...well what if your knuckle spikes are part of your fists...does that double the dangerous? [Taking her gloves off she breaks out her retractable knuckle spikes, they seem to be very much a part of who she is...like having a weapon built into her body. She's a little preoccupied with the idea that this could be the equivalent of a sword in terms of being a weapon.

Though, just as soon as Leo takes a more serious tone, he has Lara's full attention, she might be a trainee still...but she's studious and empathetic as well. This is something that, apparently, means a great deal to him which is a concept that she can respect because being a Guardian means a lot to her as well...and it took a lot of begging and convincing to get her father to even think about training her.]

I understand, being responsible for the power that you wield is important, I wouldn't expect you to hand it down pell-mell. [Not that she could teach someone to use Chaos Energy without a Chaos Emerald anyway, but even still it was important to use caution.] Without a deep level of trust you never know what someone could do with what you teach, your good intentions could easily be corrupted. I can respect and admire that.

[Lightening up a little bit, Lara crack's a smile.]

I appreciate pointers and advice though, it'll go a long way when I'm training.

[Any lingering reservations about taking Lara Su under his tutelage are dispelled when she makes the astute observation about responsibility. Of course, he already knows that the echidna starts from a place of wielding great power and striving to do good with it, as well as her pre-existing attitudes towards fair play; both are important (although not entirely conscious) factors in his judgment call.

Leaning forwards to get a better look at her natural arsenal, Leo is reminded of his enemy Dog Pound. However, the mutant dog-man's spikes were jagged, sharpened (and permanent rather than retractable) bone, his left fist the size of Leonardo's entire body. Lara doesn't have that particular mutation, but Leo does wonder how much force her knuckles (so to speak) can deliver. Her hands are surprisingly non-tiny next to his own gargantuan flippers, which – although he knows this more from instinct than from a systematic knowledge of the physics – probably means they sling around a lot of weight in comparison to her body size.]

Well, Sensei says that any weapon is an extension of your own body – but yours actually are… So yeah, I'd say it gives you a head start. Not very many people were born with brass knuckles. [And here we go with yet more alliteration. A grin of good-natured pride flickers across his face, but the frivolity is passing, because they're getting to the good stuff now.

Leo loves martial arts. They are his heritage, the path to his father's approval, the foundation of his daily survival skills and thoroughly intertwined with his self-identity. He's beginning to find that he loves to talk shop in front of an eager and attentive audience; it reminds him of time spent in the dojo, of Splinter walking one of them through a particularly challenging maneuver, and how it feels to fully master and understand a move himself.

In other words, fun and serious are now one and the same, and the light in his eyes reflects a lifelong passion.]

But. They're only dangerous if you can hit your target. And to deal with something like these [Leo gestures with one oversized thumb towards the red-wrapped hilts jutting over his shoulder] you have to have a lot more than just good aim.

Edited (iiiiicon) 2013-07-09 03:14 (UTC)

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[VOICE | Backdated Pre-Event] Survey

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hullo from vacation!

hope you're having a good one :D

It was lovely, Portland is beautiful <3

I want to go to Portland for The Frying Scotsman

Road trip!

Woooooo~!

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I woke up thoroughly amused XDDD

Thank you, thank you, I'll be here all week