misterbrief | 6th Taunt

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6th Taunt | Video

[It's been a few days since Father's Day. And he got a really nice surprise from his daughter that he never thought possible. Bulla training and honing her skills and power, it really meant something to him; so he's flipping his journal open now since Luceti played a large part of it. He's not even angry this time.]

It's come to my attention that a good number of you had a hand in the gift I received over the weekend. I will say I'm impressed- the lot of you have done the impossible with my daughter Bulla and it most certainly paid off. So for that...[His voice trails off, since saying these sorts of things isn't exactly natural to him.] For that I am grateful. I know a good portion of the time we are safe inside this barrier, but you must understand that I worry for her safety regardless.

So I suppose this is the part where I ask something else not so specific. The gift I received was for your Earthling holiday Father's Day. I've never put much stock in such things, but this last weekend certainly has changed my mind about it a little. Is this something you also observe in your own worlds? And if so, what is it that you've done or would do that you would consider worthy of your father?

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An Artiste, huh. Is that what you call it. [Lol, just, lol.]

If they get themselves into something ridiculous then it's their own fault. [Sorry Cliff, he's not as sentimental.] And unless it's a life or death situation they can get themselves out of it as far as I'm concerned.

Normally I feel the same, but it also depends on what else is in play. [Like the possibility of getting family members imprisoned if they acted out too much, for example.]

The trick is watching and knowing when to step in. As a teacher, anything too dumb on their part is on my head.

[This is why Cliff is a much better teacher than Vegeta will ever be.]

I think a trial by fire would be more fitting. They won't learn unless they've paid the consequences for their actions.

That's where paying attention comes in. A few hard knocks never hurt anyone, but it sometimes gets too big. That's when it's time to step in.

Hopefully they've been taught well enough that stepping in isn't necessary. We're not going to be around forever, you know.

That's why it's up to us old guys to make sure that they're ready. As long as their mistakes don't put anyone or anything in danger and they're not green horns, they can take the consequences.

The Jinju style helps you find balance, refine what you're good at, and get rid of any weakness. That includes anything in the mind, because a distracted fighter who doesn't have their heart in it is liable to get themselves or someone else dead.

It's not something we'll allow.

[His eye twitches at the 'old' part, but he'll let it slide for now- he's not getting insulted by Cliff and wait did Cliff just call himself old, really what no.]

So you're not exactly a spring chicken either huh? [He swears he can't even be forty yet. Not that Vegeta looks like he's almost sixty, he's easily mistaken for forty-five to fifty.] Excuse me if that was something I was already supposed to know.

And what exactly does your Jinju style say about the idea of killing your allies or allowing them to die to win the battle? [In his experience, feelings, they often got in the way and it always had to do with saving friends. He's learned to avoid this mostly by sacrificing himself, and by now, more than once. ~~Good thing he's only died the one time though lucky pos shoulda died again~~]

[He was 37-- close enough to 40 to start making him feel strange while interacting with all of these 20-somethings. He could be as wild as the best of them, but he also had a lifetime of experience over most. Though he wasn't as old as Vegeta, he was starting to notice the distinct gap between himself and most of the others in town.

But Vegeta's question got him thinking, and rankled a part of him that was hard to ignore. He relied on his neutrality oriented interpersonal skills to keep himself from showing his mood too much, but his dislike of the notion was clear.]

Number one rule: We don't leave anyone behind if we can manage it. Frankly, I'd rather be the one to take the heat rather than someone else. I can take it, and it'd be more than just irresponsible of me to let it be otherwise.

[More than the basic morality of it, he was a bodyguard. Even if morals weren't a thing, he still had his pride to maintain.]

So you're saying if you have to you will? If there was no other option? Or would you let the enemy go on the rampage just to save one life?

I'm sayin' that I'll personally keep them out of danger, if those're the options.

[C'mon, Vegeta. You're making him be serious!]

[Vegeta is a very, very serious guy.]

I think you're avoiding answering my question. You don't get the option of keeping them out of danger.

Because they've either become the problem or their death is the only solution. Now choose.

[Anyone who doubted Cliff's capacity of making filters is suddenly met with an unhackable one, locking him and Vegeta off in a private corner of the journals. This was territory that he didn't like.]

Dammit, Vegeta. Don't ask me that!

[Because he wouldn't have allowed something like that to happen on his watch. And, if it did, then he was going to go down trying to fix it himself-- or, at least make sure the rest of the crew was safe as he dealt with the problem.]

Edited 2013-07-10 01:32 (UTC)

And why not? It's a valid question. I'll even make you a deal, you answer my question and I'll tell you what I would do if I were you. [His answer is pretty easy though, since Vegeta feels that this is a black and white answer.]

[He huffed in obvious irritation.]

...

Look. If you wanna get heavy on me then we're going out for a few beers. Now.

Fine by me. I haven't gone out in quite a few months anyhow. Meet you there. [He cracks a grin, he's never managed to get to Cliff like that and it was sort of refreshing.]

Roger.

[Simple, straight, and too the point. Cliff closed up his book and kicked it under the bed for retrieval later. As it stood, he didn't want to look at it for a good while, not while he was in that kind of mood. He took a few moments to cool his head before scrawling out a quick note to Fayt about his whereabouts, as was his custom when he woke and started his day well before his roommate was awake.

He was there as quickly as he was able. Community House 5, being at the far western end of town, was a hike away from the plaza. It wasn't a huge distance, but it was a distance.

Vegeta would beat him to the bar. At least the heat gave Cliff a new topic to whine about, and a perfect excuse to order a cold one as soon as he sidled up to the bar.]

[He too, closed his own journal and laid it on the coffee table in front of the couch he was sitting on at his home at House 29; and left immediately off to the bar to meet Cliff.

Of course he beats Cliff there, flying has its merits and there's no better way to travel.

So he's sitting at the bar already by the time Cliff walks in, already sipping on his own drink.]

I wasn't sure if you were going to show.

[Cliff snorted in amusement and took a grateful sip when his drink arrived.]

There's no way I'm not gonna arrive when drinks are on the house!

[He raised his glass in a silent toast. Amen to the guys who invented beer!]

[Amen indeed. He glances at the raised drink, not raising his own. Instead he ignores the toast and just drinks a little more of his beer.] Well, why am I not surprised. So how many do you have to have before you start talking?

[Because if it was a lot, he could make this a game. He does enjoy winning.]

[There you go reminding him. He had just managed to formulate his thoughts and was working on a game plan at that point. Cliff glanced sideways at Vegeta and took another sip.]

I ain't a coward, man. But I'm also not gonna let people die if I can help it. That question...it ain't something I can answer out of context. You deal with a few hundred good men and women on a ship, all of them close enough to almost be a second family, and you might get my point a little. When they've all got your trust and respect...

[Another sip. He didn't want to talk about this stuff to people that weren't involved.]

Well. You've gotta make the best decisions for everyone. You're not the only one who counts when everyone looks to you for answers.

[It was the closest he was going to come to admitting that he was the man who founded Quark, the notorious 'terrorist' group that aided everyone-- feddie and non-feddie alike. It was the closest he was going to come to admitting that he was still respected as being on the level of Captain with his crew, even though he officially passed the baton.

Another sip. Dammit, Vegeta...]

I'm not gonna give up on anyone so easy because anyone you can trust is someone worth protecting, but I'm also not gonna sacrifice everyone else in the crew and their families back home. It ain't an easy decision to make either, but someone's gotta...or else, no one would trust eachother anymore.

[He glances up from his own drink. So, Cliff wasn't so different from the goody-two shoes he knew from home, but at least he was sensible, that's what Vegeta at least got from that.]

I think I get your point just fine. [He downs the rest of his own drink, ordering another.] Then you would. You would destroy one person to save the many. I hope you're not one to sit on it until the last second to get the job done, at least. [If that says anything at all it's that he agrees with that decision. Something he almost had to do once.]

[Cliff glanced back, quietly nursing his own. He never considered himself to be a goody-two shoes-- just a guy who didn't like following someone else's orders. He lived up to his word as much as he was able while Quark grew in size...and then they became a notable enough threat, notable enough for some Federation officers to take issue with.]

I'd do it as soon as I knew there was no choice. I don't like giving up one bit, but there's too much at stake now. There's too many people, a few reasons that just keep getting bigger... and somedays it'd be nice to just punch the clock and be done with it.

But, that's not something you can do. There's no clock to punch. But, that ain't a such a bad thing in the long run.

[He drained his glass and ordered another, mulling over the inevitable fact that, whenever this muck with other dimensions and being 'deleted' was done, he'd end up taking the reigns back. Quark was big, and he had a hunch that it would get bigger. It was a bit much for a young woman to handle, especially when she deserves a chance to just live like a regular person.]

Edited 2013-07-13 00:32 (UTC)

[Smiling inwardly, he can see where Cliff was coming from, entrusted now with a world of his own to protect without Kakarot's help- but secretly, he wouldn't want to 'punch the clock' either. He had the blood of a warrior and the battles were too exciting.]

Of course it's not. It leaves enough of a fire to keep yourself from becoming soft in times of peace. And sentimentality will only get you killed in the end. [He'd experienced that again all too recently. Luck had kept him alive and he knew it. Lucky Kakarot hadn't died like Vegeta thought he did. Lucky his friend been there to save his ass one last time, the Prince throwing himself at an all-powerful dragon with only one arm functional and going in on determination and adrenaline alone. One last ditch effort to save everyone instead of getting off the planet.

A really stupid, sentimental decision. A decision he doesn't regret; but one he can't afford anymore.]

[Again with the sentimentality on Vegeta's end. He never did understand such a focus on it, because having an emotional base in his decisions was what kept his drive aflame. But even emotions had to be tempered by rationality, a lesson that was a long and hard one for a hot head like him to learn.]

I dunno if it's much a thing about going soft, seeing as there's no break back home. It's a matter of doing what's right by me-- and, I dunno about you? But I don't like following orders that I don't like.

I also do what I feel is right, and if that means making the hard decision then that's what I'll do. I don't take orders from anyone. And in the rare case that I do there better be a good reason behind it. You see, I'm the brains behind the operation at home.

...And the leader now, as of a few hours before I arrived here. [His expression is hard. But a small part of him missed that idiot, and he hated feeling that.]

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