[02] video

[lightningfang]

[The young man who starts up a feed appears unsure of himself, in more ways than one. For one, his camera is very unsteady in his hands, so... sorry to any viewer who gets motion sickness! At least it can't get too bad, considering he's quite firmly planted on the floor in the corner of a room, surrounded by various puppy Pokemon.

It takes him a moment to speak up, and longer still to gain confidence in speaking a lot of words all at once.]

Um... How do you... So... many "types." Some make sense... Lightning strong to Water. Fire strong to green things...

But... Cryo and Fire don't make Melt. Fire and Lightning don't explode... Wind is weak to Lightning? Geo is weak to green stuff? I don't understand. Makes no sense.

And many other Types. Fairies, Dragons, Iron, Spirits... So much. Makes me... so tired. How do you remember so much?

[And don't even get him started on how he's supposed to memorize all of the individual moves. Can't Pokemon just... you know, use them without being told?]

Comments

[lightningfang]

[If Felix is backing down, so is Razor. No need to escalate things.]

He is a knight. Wolves don't need a sword. They have fangs.

[bestswordmaster]

That's what I thought, but Jinx told me you were raised by wolves. I had to make sure.

[He takes a moment to picture the sort of blade Razor's talking about.]

I see. So you wield a claymore, or something like one. That does reduce your disadvantage against lancers, but it has disadvantages of its own, of course. You must pack a lot of strength in those arms of yours, to fight with such a weapon.

[lightningfang]

You don't believe her? Big knight came to visit me. So I could protect lupical. My pack.

[Razor's eyes narrow at the same time his head tilts. He can't tell if Felix is probing for weakness, or simply talking out loud. On instinct, he flexes his arms, which... honestly, don't look like they could wield a sword half his size. He's still a lanky teenager, after all.]

Weakness doesn't matter. I'm very strong. Bite with lightning, too. No one hurts my family.

[bestswordmaster]

Of course I believe her. That's why I asked.

[Felix blinks at the kid.]

That's literally what I just said. You must be stronger than you look if you can wield a sword like that effectively. You're getting offended and I don't know why.

[But something else Razor said is interesting, too--]

Bite with lightning. Do you mean lightning magic? If so, we may have more similar combat styles than I thought, despite the difference in weapons. I prefer lighter, one-handed blades.

[lightningfang]

Must be strong, to protect friends.

... Talked about Varka like he was no good.

[There's no apology in there, but his tone is conceding, if that means anything.]

Yes. Magic, from my Vision. You use it too? Only met one person with lightning before... At home.

[bestswordmaster]

[Felix nods in approval.] So. You understand. Strength matters more than anything, if you have people to protect. I know Sylvain told you about Dimitri--that he's our king. I am his Shield. No danger touches him without first meeting my blade. And I will turn them all aside.

[His brow furrows a bit.] How could I have spoken ill of your teacher if you hadn't even mentioned him yet? I only meant that if you're going to wield a weapon, you should know more about it than its color.

[He nods, lifting his brows in mild curiosity.] I do. I don't know what you mean by Vision, but in my world, magic is the product of study and training. Most people have an affinity for one type or another. Sylvain, for instance, is better suited to fire.

[lightningfang]

[In understanding, Razor closes his eyes for a moment and nods.]

You, Silver Vein, King Dimmy Tree... You are a good pack. Take care of each other.

Metal claw is sharp. What else? [Matters, he means. What else matters.]

Fire... [There's a fond look on Razor's face, at least as expressive as it can get.] Yes. He is bright, and warm.

[bestswordmaster]

...thank you. We will.

[A good pack, huh?]

You know, when I was younger, people often compared me to a wolf, too. But I wasn't part of a pack, then. Or perhaps, I didn't accept the pack I had. They called me a 'lone wolf.' I preferred to fight on my own. I still do, in some ways, but...since then, I've learned that a wolf is weaker without a pack to fight for. It sounds as though you've known that all along.

[Felix frowns, a little frustrated.] There's a lot more to a sword than its sharp edge. How will you choose the best blade for you if you don't know how to gauge its balance? And if you don't become familiar with other types of blades than your own, you won't know how to effectively defend against them.

[He's not even aware of the way his face softens somewhat into a faint smile when Razor talks about Sylvain that way.]

...he is.

[lightningfang]

[If there is one expression Razor has down pat, it's a frown. There's worry beyond what a child should ever have etched deep in his face, concern for the boy that Felix was. Razor wonders if he's as okay as he says he is now.]

I am... sad for you. No one should be alone. But happy, you have them now.

[He jerks his head back and forth, as if he can shake off the sadness.]

I know my claw. I know how to fight. Maybe... not in words. Words are... harder than fighting.

[bestswordmaster]

Don't be sad for me. I don't need your pity. Besides, that's in the past and there's no sense in dwelling on it.

[Felix's brows lift a bit in understanding.] They are, I agree. In that case, I apologize for my assumption. Perhaps the next time I see Jinx, you and I can spar.

[lightningfang]

[That's fair, and simple enough. Razor will drop it.]

Oh. Yes, I would like that. Don't have a claw, but Silver Vein gave me a... [What did he call it?] ... tail. Um, a stick? Long stick.

[bestswordmaster]

A lance? Ha. Of course he did. That's his favored weapon.

[Sylvain made a lance? That's new. Although maybe it really is just...kind of...a long stick.]

That's fine with me. I'm used to sparring with him and Dimitri. But if you would rather use a sword, I'm sure Chip wouldn't mind if you borrowed theirs. Though it's smaller than what you're used to.

[lightningfang]

Lance. I have been practicing... I can try, maybe both?

Where do you get them? Feel safer with claw... Lance is... nice, but sometimes, feels like it will break.

[bestswordmaster]

[Felix snorts quietly, amused.] You aren't wrong. Dimitri breaks lances all the time. He's actually the one who's been making our training weapons.

[He leans away from the screen for a few seconds and comes back holding his wooden sword, to show it to Razor.] He would make one for you as well, if you asked. He enjoys it. But yes, both. It's always useful to train in multiple ways.