expiationnet | [video]

Whoa, this thing is weird, but I guess I'll give it a shot.

[Rin brushes back some of her hair in an attempt to look presentable to those who could see her. Although, she was unsure about the trinket in her hand, she tries her best to attempt to communicate to those who were here. Maybe she would see the people that she met along the way? Either way, right now, she's settled nicely in one of the inn rooms, with her usual, friendly smile.]

Hi all! My name is Rin. I'll keep this short -- but if you guys are interested in a sparring partner, let me know! I probably shouldn't spill my secrets so openly, but I work for a rebel group back home and used to train people during the war. I have experience with training, so if you need that, I'm open to it! As for sparring; I use my katana. There's some lightning magic that I use with my katana, but to keep the fight fair, I can, you know, not use that.

If anyone is interested, please get back to me!

[There's a pause, and a friendly hum.]

Oh yeah, if you want a meal, feel free to stop by my room at the inn.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I'd eat there again too! Let's track down that vendor sometime... He's gotta have a restaurant somewhere.

[Oh God. Are they trying to destroy the whole village with spice? Possibly.]

There's no way. That's a lot of ground to cover with vegetables, so I'm sure there's plenty of space somewhere... What kind of weapon do you use, Alphen? I've met a lot of hand to hand combat fighters here, so I'm curious.

Just say the word and I'm there. Even if he doesn't, hopefully he'll keep that chicken on the menu.

[It's probably already been taken down in a horrified stupor.]

Are there really that many people around here who fight that way...? I use a longsword. I can fight with my hands, I guess, but it's definitely not my strong suit.

I'll see if I can track down that vendor in the mean time. Hopefully he will have that chicken dish on the menu still! If not, I can probably just replicate it in my room, although, uh... Hopefully that won't get me kicked out.

[Oops.]

Yeah! I've run into a few hand to hand combat folks so far. You might be the first to use a sword that I've run into...

[She laughs. Relatable.]

Me too! It's not my strong suit, but I can definitely put up a fight. But sword to sword combat with you will be fun. I'm excited to learn something new from you, Alphen. Don't hesitate during our fight, okay? ... I mean, keep my pretty face unscathed, but other than that, it's fair game!

[She pauses in curiosity.]

Can you use magic at all?

Kicked out? Why would it get you kicked out?

[HE IS SO OBLIVIOUS. HELP.]

I can see why martial artes would be popular -- they can be pretty useful if you end up in a situation with no weapons. But I'd rather have a chance to test my sword skills any day, so I promise, no holding back.

[Except for the face. ...Ah, he pauses at that question. Funny story.]

The short answer is no. Long answer, I have a sword with some fire abilities. But since it causes harm to me in the process, I probably shouldn't use it for sparring.

[Shionne would probably kill him.]

Edited 2023-02-27 16:35 (UTC)

... You know, good question! Why would I get kicked out. No one's ever died from getting too much spice in their life, so I'll be fine.

[Someone help them BOTH.]

I've gotten to meet a few people who are willing to help me learn some more martial arts. My Dads tried their best, but they weren't really fist fighters; moreso magic and sword arts.

[Oh. Wait. That last statement gets her to double take and she asks a very important question:]

... This is a dumb but I guess sort of important question. Why are you carrying around a weapon that hurts you? How bad does it get?

[WELL, at least he can laugh at that. Go you, Rin! Live your life!]

Exactly. I'm not sure there even is such a thing as "too much spice." What's the worst that can happen, right?

[He Is Wrong, and also, famous last words.

He might have mentioned something similar about martial artes -- he's been trying to pick up on tips from Law for ages, after all. But he pivots at her question.]

Well... [oh boy how do you even describe the Blazing Sword] I guess it's a bit of a long story. At home, it wasn't uncommon to run into enemies who needed to be hit with some pretty strong firepower. It's usually worth the injury, especially since I can't feel it, but only if someone nearby has healing artes that can treat burns.

[Wait wait wait. She can't help but notice that last statement, and she blinks in utter surprise. Alphen can't feel pain? Like at all? It's no wonder he was able to keep up with her in spice levels... And how he wasn't affected by it at all.

She thought he might have not been human, but...]

Oh, that makes a lot of sense, then. I mean, that's cool that you can't feel pain, but at the same time... That kind of sucks. That's pretty dangerous, isn't it?

Well, we won't be hitting each other, so you won't have to worry about needing a healer.

['Kind of cool?' That sounds like the sort of thing Law would say...but at least she seems to sort of understand the predicament. He nods.]

It is. I have to be pretty careful, and make sure I check myself for injuries if I get into trouble. After all, an infection can still kill you, even if you can't feel it.

[He sounds used to it by now, though. Checking himself over like that...it's basically second-nature, at this point.]

That's the plan. I like the sound of that, Rin. Let me know whenever you're ready and I'll be there.

They sure can! Had a couple of soldiers die that way, or lose a limb... As long as you're being careful, Alphen, then I won't worry too much about you. Hehe.

[He does sound used to it, and it seems like he is careful enough, but still. Rin can't help but worry about someone like that.]

Glad to hear it! In the mean time, get plenty of rest before we fight. I wouldn't want anyone to be too tired before a nice training session.

I won't lie, sometimes I still get a bit...carried away. But I don't want to make people worry, so I try to be careful most of the time.

["""try to be""" """most of the time""" Well, at least the man knows not to overpromise. But hey, these days he has way more people to worry about him, so he tries that much harder to be at the top of his game.]

Don't you worry, I'll be ready. You too, Rin. I don't expect anything less than your best.

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