thebastion | Day 155

Entry tags:

Day 155

Who: Zulf and you
Open: Open
When: Day 155
Where: The training hall
What: Zulf tries to remember an old street thief skill from his childhood, along with some weapon practice.
Format: Any
Warnings: Nothing comes to mind

As he had said plenty of times before, Zulf is not a fighter. Certainly he knows enough survival skills to last out on the Skyway for some time- he's managed before after all. However, that's more in evading and hiding. When it comes to actual weaponry... Well, he's not exactly combat ready. He can avoid shooting or cutting himself and that's it. That won't do much good if he plans to keep on going out onto the Skyway like this- with Colin's Observatory expedition and his plans with Zayna.

If you pass by the training hall today, depending on the time of day, you'll find Zulf training on one of tw things. For the occasion, he's dressed down with just a simple button up shirt with the sleeves rolled up and a plain lavender skirt.

In the morning, he seems to be doing what looks like evasion practice. There seems to be something he's aiming for although it's hard to tell what. The movements are sharp and almost jerky before Zulf takes a step back with a frown and a shake of his head. This goes on for a couple of hours... But if your character is nearby, they might hear a triumphant shout. In the training hall, there might for some reason be some faint gray... dust? Hanging in the air.

Come afternoon, and it's weapons training. Or, rather, Zulf has both a Fanged Repeater and a War Machete and he's doing a lot of awkward staring at both. It's the look of a man who isn't entirely comfortable with guns or large sharp blades. Still, he'll at least... give the Fanged Repeater a shot. Anyone watching him while he's doing target practice can probably tell right away that he's very slow to get his aim just right. The machete?

...Despite a certain kid's compliments, Zulf just keeps staring at it. No seriously how.

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'A' Zulf, yes apparently there is a Zulf infestation in the Bastion? Thanks, Colin. But yes, it's Zulf, looking a bit roughed up and sweaty which is certainly not a look often seen on him. Sometimes it's inevitable considering their current status at the end of the world, but he's rarely looked this worked up. He's holding a war machete and rolling his wrist around a little as if to test something when he hears Colin. Looking up, he gives his usual polite smile.

"Ah- good evening, Colin."

"Zulf, hey," Colin says, raising a hand to wave to him. "I didn't expect to see you here. You use a blade?"

He nods to the machete in Zulf's hand as he removes his backpack, his voice somewhat curious and maybe a little disbelieving.

It's fairly easy for him to pick up on that hint of disbelief. Zulf can't exactly blame him. He knows he doesn't look the part.

"Well, to some degree, yes." Zulf gives a shrug as he sheathes the machete. "I've never truly had a chance to use it... It was in my possession when I traveled from the Terminals to Caelondia, but it was more precautionary than anything. I used it mostly just for getting plants out of my way. However, with the current situation as it is, I thought I should get decent at something... and Raile has said that I might do well with this."

Colin gives an observational "hmmm", and he studies Zulf for a moment before shaking his head. "No offense intended, though it obviously doesn't sound that way, but that strikes me as the wrong weapon for you," he says. "You're no killer, and that is a weapon designed for up close, personal, and bloody combat."

The statement just makes Zulf grimace, although the twist of his mouth kind of gives away that he obviously agrees. "If it's any better, I've been practicing with the repeater as well. I actually prefer it."

"...Also the machete is a decent throwing weapon as well."

"Are you prepared to kill a person? Or anything, really?" Colin asks, ever the blunt one.

Sorry, Zulf, he's not trying to be mean, but his empire is military. You'd think he'd be more used to this kind of conversation, though...

Edited 2014-02-05 19:46 (UTC)

An answer doesn't come right away. Zulf's lips just thin, and his head dips a little in thought. It's actually a smart question to ask, even if it is blunt. Fortunately he's come to expect that from Colin, so he's not exactly insulted or anything.

The last time he'd ever felt close to wanting people dead... He had still attempted to warn off two people he had cared about. Could he actually carry through?

"...If it were for someone important, I could will myself to do it. That's what I want to think, but I suppose I won't truly know until it happens."

"A fair answer, if somewhat naive," Colin observes. "And, again, I don't mean that as an insult. It's just... most people aren't prepared to take a life. Even if they tell themselves they are. It's traumatic, and it can hurt a person way more than they anticipate."

He walks over to Zulf, looking him over. "Whatever the case, a sword is a poor weapon for the untrained. It's a weapon that requires extensive training to handle properly. It has no parallel in ordinary life, unless you handle a sword day in and day out. What did you do for a living before the calamity? The best weapons, if only for self defense, are those that mirror the tools a person is used to using ordinarily."

They're all very good points, and Zulf won't bother trying to argue against them. There's just a slight problem with what he uses ordinarily... Zulf sighs. "I'm afraid I can't exactly talk enemies to death. That is to say- I was a speaker. I traveled to Caelondia in the first place as an ambassador of peace."

Colin smirks slightly, and shakes his head. "We should have you talk to Paarthurnax," he says. "The big guy can level mountains with words. But that's beside the point. You say you were a man of peace, why not stick with that? Look into getting a quarterstaff?"

He suddenly looks pleased, and clears his throat. "Among all sentients, the earliest force multiplier is a long, sturdy stick," he says with practiced ease, before settling into more familiar speech. "A staff is pretty much the earliest example of a defensive weapon. They're rarely lethal, they can inflict a lot of damage, they give you a range advantage, and they are useful as more than just a weapon."

Edited 2014-02-05 22:38 (UTC)

"Earliest force multiplier." Zulf repeats it with amusement heavy in his tone. Really, Colin? Really? He shakes his head a little. "You could have just said that people have learned to hit things with long blunt objects ages ago. That would have fit things just as well." Anyway. "I never actually thought about that, admittedly."

"Yes, but that doesn't sound as educational and official," Colin replies, grinning. "Besides that, a staff is also the least objectionable and recognizable weapon in existence. It serves as a walking aid, a probe for underbrush, a lever, a vault, and I can go on! A simple length of sturdy wood is quite possibly the most versatile tool in existence. And I say that as something with a replicating multi-tool."

He nods down to Zulf's Machete then. "Whatever the case, though... it's a lot easier to learn than a blade, a lot safer for you and your foe, and it's something you can hold in your hands and almost instantly have some idea how to handle. Consider it?"

"You mean it doesn't let you stroke your ego," Zulf shoots back, lips quirking up just a little bit. Educational, please. Still, this new option does sound appealing... And easy to replace should anything happen.

"I'll... certainly think of it. I'm mainly looking into the machete because it's an Ura weapon and because Raile suggested it to me."

"Guilty as charged," Colin says, beaming brightly.

He nods then, looking at the machete again. "Keep it handy, a blade is always useful, especially a heavy one. Just... if you're not comfortable with it, don't rely on it until you are comfortable with it. And be aware, that may take some time."

Colin has help to arm thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands of people aboard his ship over the years. He knows what can happen if someone gets the wrong weapon and tries to rely on it...

"Please don't worry." Although it's not as though Zulf can stop him. He rolls his shoulders a little before nodding to Colin. "These are just last resort... I'm much better at evasion than any sort of combat. I don't have any plans to charge headlong into a fight."

"That's actually a relief to hear," Colin says, stepping back. "You ever need smoke bombs or anything, you let me know."

"Oh, actually I'll probably just make my own," Zulf mentions off-handedly, moving a bit to see just what Colin's brought for the training hall now that the more serious portion of the conversation is done with. "That's what I did when I had to escape from the Marshals before all of this happened, although I did have limited resources to work with. Now that I can use things from the Skyway, I have more options."

It's normally for a man of peace to know these sort of things, right?

"Ah, even better!" Colin says, sounding all the more cheerful. "If you need a chemical workstation, come by my workshop. The second floor is devoted to that sensitive work like that. Maybe I can learn some of your peoples' tricks, if you're ever in the mood to teach."

Colin is most certainly the wrong person to ask for that.

He's brought a lot of metalwork, chains, and cords. Though it's a mess of spare parts, it looks as though he might be planning to make a small motor system of some sort.

Yeah, somehow Zulf has a bad feeling about that offer. Still, he's too polite to outright refuse. "I'll be sure to consider it. I'm not sure what I could teach you. They're less... Ura tricks and more simply the sort of things you pick up when you live on the streets." He crouches down to inspect the metalwork a bit more. "They're really fairly rudimentary- nothing spectacular although they do get the job done."

He finally looks away from the mass of parts. "So just what are you planning for here, then?"

"Even the basics can teach something," Colin says gently. "You can tell a lot about a culture by the course of their technological advancements. Heck, you can tell a lot about a culture from a lot of different indicators. Anthropology is amazing that way."

He grins slightly. "This is just some simple course work for Duke," he explains. "Moving targets, pop-up targets for reflex training, that sort of thing. They're not gonna be up and running until after we get back from the observatory, but they'll be handy for keeping peoples' skills honed."

"I see. I can imagine how those would be helpful." He pushes himself back to his feet, head tilting a little as he remembers something. "Actually, if you were to ask Raile, it's possible he might be able to lead you to some training grounds Caelondia once used for its various military groups. I'm not sure how much would be left, but maybe you'd be able to find some useful items."

"Really?" Colin asks, his eyes practically lighting up. "I don't know how much would be able to serve our purposes, but that's definitely something I want to check out later on..."

Primitive technology only interests him so much, but he can certainly see the potential of investigating it. If it turned up something like the turrets, it would be well worth the trip...

Unfortunately, Zulf himself can't say if they'll be worth the trip. He knows about the existence of them from a combination of common sense and talking to Raile, but he's never been himself. Well, for the most part anyway. Still, he hopes the information is somewhat useful.

"I'll be sure to tell him that you're interested, then. He injured his shoulder, so he won't be able to do anything right away... but we do have the Observatory to worry about first. Also, if you know a man named Seimei, I've agreed to write down all I know about Caelondia and the Tazal Terminals. I'm no genius, but I could write down what I know about the technology of both places."

"Yep, job priorities make such things wishful desires. I imagine I'll probably be tied up for a week or so once we get back from the Observatory, but after that, I definitely want to see those sites," Colin confirms. "And anything you wanted to write down, I'd be happy to read. I've gotta put my new linguistics to the test."

He pats his amulet fondly. Much as he doesn't like relying on the monument, it does keep coming in handy...