013 ♍ VIDEO

[glowsferatu]

[ Kanaya turns on the camera, glancing at a distant point to the side, wearing a great scowl. ]

Have you ever had those days when you've had to empty out your savings to relocate friends whose lives are in active danger?

Well, happy birthday to me.

[ She finally looks at the camera directly, as Ashiah can be seen bumbling across the wall behind her. ] I think it's time to admit I need a new weapon. The Porter recently took the one I've relied upon for years, and this [ She brings her hand up, holding a large knife. ] has proven a feeble replacement. I'd prefer something with more weight and reach, something that can actually deal damage. Motorized, if possible.

So, I'm open to suggestions. If you craft any yourself, sell me on your product. I'm willing to learn something new, but no firearms. They don't agree with my style.

Comments

[permvideo]

[protects_the_small]

If you would like to try the sword, I can teach you. I prefer the glaive myself, it's more versatile.

[glowsferatu]

Well, I have experience with a sort of blade already, so the transition to sword might be easier. [ Or she's totally overestimating the similarities, can you really call a chainsaw a kind of blade? ] Still, if I'm having to learn something new anyway, I'm open to other possibilities.

If you're willing to teach me, perhaps I could see which agrees with me more.

[protects_the_small]

I'd be teaching you a staff before the blade proper anyway.

[Doing things in the CORRECT ORDER]

[glowsferatu]

[ Kanaya smirks. ] Well, I suppose you could do that, if you believe in all that safety nonsense!

[ She would practice every bit of safety nonsense imaginable if she were teaching people weapons. ]

[protects_the_small]

I know you can heal quickly, but replacing fingers might be trickier.

[glowsferatu]

You'd be surprised. [ She's had to do the whole arm before. ] But, we'd still have yours to worry about, too.

[protects_the_small]

Yes, I'm very attached to mine, and I'd like to keep it that way.

Staff first, then decide if you would like to go longer or shorter.

[glowsferatu]

So, you have this whole regimen in mind already. Do you do this sort of thing often?

[protects_the_small]

Yes? That's how I was taught. And how I taught the children back home.

[Wait...]

...And the adults, the children just worked at it more.

[glowsferatu]

I suppose they must have been less convinced they now already what they're doing, more openness to being taught. I'll try not to make that mistake.

[protects_the_small]

They also were easier to convince to practice.

[There's a wistfulness there, she does miss those mornings]

It will probably help you're volunteering for this, and it's not mandatory.

[glowsferatu]

Well, I understand the importance. Even if it doesn't turn out to be easy, I'm still committed.

I'm curious though, did your adults never need to fight in wars?

[ That's generally what knights did, as she understands it. That, or go on adventures, fight dragons, rescue princesses, and the like. But that might be a more fictional conceit.

It's just difficult for her to imagine someone learning a weapon when their lives have never depended on its use. Perhaps Kel's adult students were similarly unimaginative. ]

[protects_the_small]

...Yes, we were in one at the time.

They were civilians though, refugees. Most of them knew how to shoot or throw a sling to drive off animals or hunt game, but killing other humans was a new skill.

[glowsferatu]

I suppose it's...surprising, a little, that they would struggle to find motivation. I learned to fight when I was young, because it was a necessity to my survival. And I've improved throughout my life because it never stopped being one.

I would have thought the same might apply to them.

[protects_the_small]

The motivation increased once we'd been attacked once or twice.

[Kel shrugs, feeling a little uncomfortable with where this conversation is going...in some cases it feels like speaking ill of the dead]

[glowsferatu]

[ Kanaya's mood shifts at that, turning more solemn. ]

That's an ugly way to learn, especially when they had already been displaced. Were you only the trainer there, or did you command their protective forces?

[protects_the_small]

I was...in command of the whole camp. My year mates Merric and Neal were in charge of the defenses and healers, respectively.

[glowsferatu]

I imagine that responsibility must have been...challenging. I've defended small groups of civilians for short periods of time, but that sort of undertaking would require far more dedication, and a very good head on one's shoudlers.

You must be very accomplished to have earned the position. [ Especially when she can't be far outside Kanaya's age. And here she's been spending the last few years trying to convince the world that her age doesn't make her useless. ]

[protects_the_small]

[Kel flinches slightly. She's never been good at compliments and still can't get over the feeling that she failed in many ways with Haven]

My lord didn't have many options that wouldn't end in disaster, I should say. It wasn't just my first command, it was my first posting after I got my shield.

[glowsferatu]

Oh. [ She worries she might have misspoke, then. If she'd been thrust into it, who knows what kind of factors may have caused something like that. Most of Kanaya's ideas on it aren't good, but she's a pessimist. ]

Maybe challenging wasn't the right word. More overwhelming. If you'd rather not talk about it...

[protects_the_small]

'Overwhelming' is a very good word. I've certainly learned a lot about commanding people who aren't necessarily used to it.

[turning the conversation around to the original topic:]

Mostly we focused on training in pole arms and bows, since that takes less training than a sword. If you already know how to use a knife that's useful, though they're much different in practice.

[glowsferatu]

[ She nods, catching the change and running with it. ]

I imagine so. You have more to work with, and that means more that needs to be maneuvered. A knife is closer to an extension of the hand, even if you use it differently than you would a fist.

I could see it being much more useful against multiple opponents, as well.

[protects_the_small]

It takes more upper body strength as well.


....Though I somehow think that will be less of a problem for you.

[glowsferatu]

I think I just might be able to manage that.

So, you said you know a swordsmith already? Though having you introduce me might be getting ahead of ourselves at this point.

[protects_the_small]

Yes, a native. Though if you've recently drained your savings, you might wish to put that aside for now.