misterbrief | 9th Taunt

[He'd thought a lot about this, long and hard. But even with all the evidence presented to him over the past year and a half, that still was never enough for him. He didn't want to rely on anything else to fight, he had his own power and his own strength. But being caught like he did so many times on the draft by shifters, relying solely on his own natural strength to survive- there had just been too many close calls.

And he had needed help more than once. How much that ate at his mind was unfathomable except to a few. One day no one was going to be there to help him, even if he hated the very idea of needing help. And if he wasn't ready, where would he be? Put into a position that he allowed for himself to be in, to die. To be sacrificed, like he was already by that bomb the cultists used on them. And next time, he wouldn't be so lucky and he knew it. He still had his reservations about contacting the spirits. But, he felt as if he couldn't avoid it much longer.

Too many what ifs. What if even something so small from the spirits would have helped him? He was sick of it, sick of knowing that might be the only thing he could rely on against their enemy. The only thing that worked when all his other powers were disabled. But even so, there's still more he wanted to know. Because if there's anything he hates, it's wasting time on things that are pointless.]

Video:

[The video feed flickers on, revealing the face of the prince, looking as serious as ever. He gets straight to the point.]

I must know. For those of you who are in contact with the spirits here, what use do you find in their power? Especially in combat. I might even have the patience to listen to a story or two regarding that, as I find it incredibly important in this matter. [He glances off to the side, knowing how this goes in Luceti.]

I know some of you would prefer to speak in person about such things. I'll be at Mythoria Café later tonight. But I won't stay long.

Action:

[As always, he's easily found. During the day, either at House 29 or the Battle Dome training, with both his sword or with his abilities. He does keep his word, appearing at Mythoria Café after he's done training and showered for the day.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I know that, Vegeta. Those Shifters can shut alot of us down, and Symbology's got it's drawbacks, but I was just using that as an example. We don't really know how strong you can get with the spirits, do we? It's that variable that had me mention it...with so many systems around, there's no reason why you can't try to combine one with the other. It'd be like...it'd be like shooting a bullet from a gun, but also finding a way to set the bullet on fire before it lands. That way, even if the bullet doesn't kill them, they still get burned from it too.

So you're saying it would be beneficial to combine their power with my own? [Or Cliff's own, it didn't matter.] I've been told as such so far. I still don't see the point in it. [Not for himself, at least.]

There's no reason to augment my own power with the spirits. If I can't blast them, I'll just simply rip them apart. [And it's this kind of thinking that will always be a detriment to him.]

I'm not talking 'bout your power. I'm saying that....maybe you've got a nasty Shift on you that stops you from blasting 'em or ripping 'em apart. But, if you can use the native magics and use the magics from another world, maybe you could use the native stuff to boost the other stuff.

[He peers at Cliff. That's not a situation he ever hoped to find himself in.] I've got a sword for that. Besides. I doubt a situation like that would ever arise. If I can't blast anything, the chance I'd be able to use magic not of this world would also be unlikely.

[Cliff peered back, purposfully tipping down his sunglasses just to add to the effect.

...He liked how he looked in the shades, 'kay?]

Yeah? Well, what if they turn you into a dog? Then what?

[He shoots back a stern glare at the question.]

Then I guess I'll just have to resort to biting ankles, aren't I? [Soooo he'd be dead, he thinks.]

I don't think so. Not if you do the magic thing right, anyway. I mean, even as a dog you can still draw out a symbol, and who knows how the native stuff even works!

How in the world am I going to use magic as a dog? Honestly. [The idea sounded absurd.] Why don't we have one of our wizards turn you into a dog again and we'll see how that works out for you.

Let's not, kay? Even if I was cute, being able to open doors on my own is a pretty big thing, yanno?

Then tell me how we'll ever know if your harebrained idea works?

...Call it a hunch. If you've still got your brain in a situation like that, then you should be able to figure it out.

You and your hunches. I'd rather have proof before I go relying on something like that.

Then why not include that in your search and ask around? I'm sure one of the magic users here have tried things like that, and can tell you all about it.

Hmmmm. [It's not a bad idea.]

Alright. But I'm willing to bet I'm right on this one.

Maybe, but the idea of it ain't so bad even if you aren't stuck as a dog.

...If you want, I've got a friend who does a lot of this magic stuff. Want me to ask her a few questions the next time we talk?

If you wish. I've got some of my own magic users I can speak with, but more input couldn't hurt.

[And if he can get any kind of good, straight answers around here, he'll be a lot more happy.]

Yeah, I'll see what I can get together. [Between hunkering down in the battle dome in the evenings to practice those techniques that Vegeta had shown him and trying to compensate for his vision, he needed another distraction. Besides, the information couldn't hurt him, either.]

You'll share with me what you find too, right?

I didn't know you were that interested. We can barely get you to train, let alone learn anything new.

Hey-- didn't I already tell ya? Vacations' over.

[He holds his hands out open in front of him, grinning.]

If you say so. I suppose I can pass along whatever I find.

[Hey, so long as he was having trouble aiming his throws and dodging blasts from that set-up Vegeta had showed him last winter, there was no time for a break. He needed to get a handle of where his blindspots were before they faced another invasion situation.]

Awesome. All this should pan out to something interesting, at least. I hope it's useful too.

I expect it to be. If not, then I don't see why so many bother to waste their time.

[Except with Nala.]

With the magic? Who knows-- they think differently than you and I do.

[Magic. Symbology. While they represented two fundamentally different ways of reaching the same outcome, they both amounted to the same thing in Cliff's mind-- a horribly complicated wall that he had never bothered trying to surmount before.

But, it was far past the time to let the status quo remain the same. Cliff knew that he was going to give it a try one way or another.]

Of course they do. A good portion of them don't know what it is to stare death in the face. [He knows plenty have seen their share of battle too around here, but a lot of them were just kids to him- and certainly don't act like they fight and kill often.]

That may be...but, the ones we fought with back there have.

[Zompania. Cliff didn't think he needed to clarify-- the very thought of that entire affair put a bad taste in his mouth.]

[Video]

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9th Taunt | Video/Action

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