on apping to route_29 ~

[usedswift]

Look, Mun-san, I'm as excited for this game as you are, but we've got to lay some ground rules! First off, there's no way I'm not carrying at least one weapon. You said some guy's got a wooden sword! Can't I at least carry a bo staff? I'll tell people it's a walking stick!

Oh, and I can put chopsticks in my hair and sharpen the ends~ That's cool too, right? And about these Pokémon things... I saw you want me to have a Skarmory. Think they shed, and I can keep those really sharp metal feathers?!

Even without Chakra, I can still be a weapons mistress! Right...?

Comments

[former_endboss]

Nice sense of style there kid. I know a girl who keeps war-fans in her hair, but she's got more of it to work with. The sticks are probably a better bet, you'll get fewer people noticing. Really though, the best thing you could do would be to figure out how to weaponize everything. I mean, you can even use the enemy's clothes against them, right?

[usedswift]

Thanks! I don't really like fans myself, but I know someone who's pretty good at using them as weapons. Well. One really big one. That cheater.

And I definitely could! My favorite is when people wear scarves... It's really considerate of them! And do you have any idea how much damage you can do with just a sharp pencil in the right spot?

[former_endboss]

The girl I was talking about uses two, but I can kinda see a single one. The queen of weird weapons would probably be one of my other acquaintances though, who uses a mechanized lumberjack's tool against her foes.

I can imagine that it would be pretty nasty. That sort of thing is why I wear this armor all the time. Almost anything can kill you if you aren't careful and knowledgeable, I nearly died to a really weak monster once. So I don't really go 'adventuring' naked anymore.

[usedswift]

...I had no idea what you were talking about with mechanized lumberjacks' tools until my mun showed me a picture. I want one!!

I wear my armor under my clothes, usually... we're allowed to have armor in this place, too? That's not so bad, then! And what kind of a monster?

[former_endboss]

She really tricked the thing out, I have a picture of her's here. Though really, I've handled it once, and it's not an easy weapon to use-it twists in your hands like it has a mind of it's own, and it can get the chain caught in things if you're not careful.

Well, I don't know about where you're going, but a good low-profile suit ought to not be too obvious. The trick might be getting your hands on it. I mean, this thing? It took me nearly a year to find another one like it for my companions once.

I'd rather not talk about that too much, but it was a Pom if you must know.

[usedswift]

That looks so cool though! I wonder if you could rig it to throw... nah, that would be silly. I'd love to try something like that sometime...

Well, where I'm from, we usually wear like... it's a really strong wire mesh. Like she's wearing. That's the girl with the fan I was talking about before. Most of us are smart enough to wear our armor where people can't see it though, hmph!

[Yes, she's still sore about losing that match to this chick.]

What's a Pom?

[former_endboss]

Seems like it would be vulnerable to penetration. Ranged weapons, rapiers, maybe spears? Crushing weapons too, though it's hard to armor against those effectively. The stuff I'm wearing actually expands my mana capacity by harmonizing my wave functions, and it has more tensile strength than steel for a given thickness.

A Pom's a Pom. I can't describe it any better than that. They're normally about as dangerous as...two rabbits or one house cat though.

[usedswift]

It compresses like chain mail!

[She interlaces her own fingers to demonstrate.]

But you're right; for us, the point's more about dodging than taking the hit. And, um... Not to be rude, but isn't your armor kind of... missing a lot of important pieces? Like, your legs?

[former_endboss]

Ahh, I see. Pretty clever that.

...It covers the knees and outsides of my thighs. And if people are looking at my legs or my breasts, then they won't be paying attention to things they should be looking at in a fight. If it didn't cause such a fuss in my own team, I might fight naked just to cause even more disruption in my enemy's minds.

[usedswift]

...Huh.

Yeah, I guess that would work! It's like you said earlier about clothing being a weapon, right? Or... lack of clothing. Does it really work like that?

[former_endboss]

Well, I don't know about the enemy from experience, but I know that whenever I try to take my clothes off, my boyfriend instantly rejects it on the grounds that it would cause too much fuss. And I'm pretty sure that the simple sight of that sort of thing would distract most men and make them miss at least one beat.

It all depends on culture though I think. I mean, when I was growing up, nobody looked twice at me when I wasn't wearing clothes, but now that I'm older and more traveled...

[usedswift]

Well... yeah, I don't think people usually walk around naked. At least not where I'm from. I think people get arrested for that kind of thing! But Naruto does that dumb technique of his...

I guess I could see why that would be distracting, but I don't think it would work out for me...

[former_endboss]

Well, walking around isn't the right word I suppose for what I was doing. I was basically raised in a box, as a glorified combat tool.

Yeah, it's not for everyone. Then again, things work in fights that have no earthly right to-you ever seen a priestess with a sword hold off trained knights while wearing stilleto heels? Because I have.

[crouchingtiger_hiddenface]

I'm surprised, Tenten. You'd think being friends with Lee, you'd know that something like that isn't a limitation.

Besides, training Pokemon might help you be more creative, find new ideas for techniques.

[usedswift]

I... oh. Oh, I'm... sorry to hear that? It sounds like you've done pretty well for yourself, but who would do such a thing?!

And... no. I think I'd break my ankle quicker than anything else, in heels!

[usedswift]

K-Kakashi-sensei! Of course it's not a limitation! I just fight better with weapons, that's all! Not to mention I don't have anything even close to Lee's stamina...

You really think so? Have you done it before, then? I'm a little nervous, since I mean, I've never taken care of so much as a squirrel before, let alone some kind of battle-monster-ninja-animal thing...

[crouchingtiger_hiddenface]

Don't worry, I'm not judging you or anything. Just saying that getting out of your comfort zone is a good way to better yourself.

Well, no I haven't, but I'm going to take my mun's word on it. I'm assuming it can't be that much different than my Ninken.

[usedswift]

Of course! Stronger than I was yesterday, you know!

Right... do you have any tips for me, then? My mun tells me it's kind of like a summons, these Pokémon things.

[crouchingtiger_hiddenface]

Good, good.

Well, again, I'm not the expert here. I'm sure if you're half as creative with your tactics as you are with your bukijutsu, you shouldn't have any problems with the fighting angle. Just remember to take care of your partners. Your team is always the most important thing.

[usedswift]

The part that I don't like is that apparently we're not supposed to fight with them, just direct them. It's a lot like being a sensei, I think...

It's going to be the first time I'm somewhere without Gai-sensei and Lee and Neji, though. This'll be my chance to shine!

[crouchingtiger_hiddenface]

Well, it'll be a new challenge for you.

[An occasionally frustrating challenge, but one that's rewarding nonetheless.]

Well, I hope you enjoy it. I'm sure you'll find some new friends.

[usedswift]

Well, Sasuke-kun is there, but I'm pretty sure he's the only shinobi of any nation. Do you think we'll get along? He seems a lot like Neji...

[crouchingtiger_hiddenface]

[His eye narrows a little.]

Sasuke is there?

[usedswift]

Yeah! My mun was talking to his mun and...

...Is something wrong?

[crouchingtiger_hiddenface]

Maybe.

[It depends when in his life this Sasuke is.]

Tenten, I want you to be careful.