Alright, folks. We're exactly half of an XP point away from being able to boost CR all the way to 47. Kakashi's anemic, and I'm sitting in my car outside of the gym. Let's get these gains. REACTION POST IS A GO
Edit: ended up typing this out while on the treadmill
Kakashi doesn't really know how to relax, and distrusts even Hot Springs. This is good, because political power is a fundamentally soft power. you might find someone willing to say "fuck it," and accept the consequences. Or there might be someone who can be convinced to do a dumb thing, and reveal Kakashi's position (not every human being is hyper-rationalist).
Kakashi's instincts saved them during the Surprise Bijuu Encounter, but without an immediate threat present? With the chances of discovery (so soon after fleeing) so low? It makes sense that Shizuka would be reluctant to indulge Kakashi's paranoia.
Kakashi accepts that the likelihood of being discovered is so remote as to be an impossibility (presumably they covered their tracks against Rain's bloodlines as they fled), and drops it.
However, this paranoia is what has kept him alive enough to see joninhood, and it's generally a good thing to at least acknowledge what could (realistically) go wrong and plan for it.
Both he and Sugiyama? I wonder if there's a Demon cultural taboo around saunas? Or maybe they just felt awkward watching their two teammates bicker like old friends?
Oof. I'd forgotten about that.
Sugiyama's seeing Kakashi treat their work (healing his body) thoughtlessly. How disrespectful
I wonder if Kagato doesn't have that same level of paranoia that Kakashi has, or if his sensory bloodline is activated?
Or maybe he trusts Kakashi's rampant paranoia to be enough?
Hm, so the Mantises don't seem to be loathed or hated by the other Clans, but more... annoyed? I imagine the Mantises (from what we've seen) have to be pandered to, or else they become offended. I could see that raising the spoon-cost for interacting with them, and the Mantis Clan becoming something akin to "annoying neighbors."
We can see that Kagato's concepts of honor and duty have him struggling with the idea of seeking out a Summoner explicitly for the sake of murdering them for their Scroll. Which is a little weird, if only because Kagato is a jonin, and jonin seem to (normally) lack that sort of thing.
Maybe Kagato is more disturbed at the notion of a Summoning Clan willing to arrange the death of their own Summoner? Kagato could see it as breaking the spirit of the Contract, or an oath, versus breaking the letter. That, I think, seems more in line with what we've seen of Kagato. He's discomforted at the notion of a Clan dealing with their Summoner (whom they have an oath to) in bad faith, and his potential role in contributing to that.
The fact that they have little to share might indicate something about the culture of their Clan, especially since Kagato, himself says that there is "more than meets the eye."
Still, bunnies are cute and I find the idea of working with the Rabbits to be more favorable than the Scorpions. I'll admit that I'm hoping that working for a mammalian Summoning Clan negates the inhumanness factor a bit much. It's my hope that the gap in qualia would be lesser than if Kakashi signed up with an Insectoid Clan.
Chickens are hardcore, and eat damn near everything. Anyone who has had to deal with raising them or taking care of them can attest to the fact that they're definitely a thing. But they're also mammalian, and take care of their young (which is a low bar, I'll admit).
They seem to lack the warning bells that Kagato raised around the Rabbits, and that's reason enough for me to want to prioritize getting the Chicken Clan... and not
just because I want to try for a Chocobo Summon.
I want this clan, if we can manage it.
Kagato seems to place that same importance on lost memories that Sugiyama does. Cultural? Or simply an acknowledgement that, just because he doesn't remember it, doesn't mean that he isn't changed bby it?
Kagato has seen little enough of Kakashi (that he can recall), so he must be able to imagine/guess what his relationship with Kakashi was like. Perhaps Kagato is sad that he couldn't provide more guidance? Kagato definitely shows respect to Kakashi here.
I wonder if Kagato feels like he's failed, as a sensei. We know that duty and oaths a great deal to Kagato. Maybe he had certain ideas about what he'd be like, if he were ever to become a sensei? Things he'd do better than his own Summoning mentor, things he'd try to emulate?
It makes me wonder.
I like this. It also means that a Contract space is filled up.
I wonder if most Summoners never bother to level Summoning up, and maintain their Summoner's Contract as their one and only contract? Or if they never bother to have more than a couple contract spaces?
Kagato could be a rarity in that he had 2 spare slots for Ameri and Kakashi to use.
I wonder what Kagato sees? We know that Kakashi religiously thinks of his Sharingan as Obito's, so maybe Kagato wouldn't experience that. But the Lightning Element? Maybe with a higher Summoning Stat, Kagato would perceive more than Kakashi would? His experience as a Hacker, maybe? His dabbling in Sealing? Those are esoteric enough that I could see them standing out.
I think this is the first time that Kakashi called Kagato "sensei," something that he's only reserved for Minato up until now.
Don't die, Kagato! Kakashi needs someone to lead him through the nose to politeness!
Valid. Book's more interesting.
I do like, though, that Shizuka feels safe enough around Kakashi to do this. Sure, she's traveled with him long enough that she knows he's not interested. Still, it makes me feel proud of Kakashi. Jonin-insanity aside, and accidental(?) rudeness aside, Shizuka ( a woman who is at a disadvantage against Kakashi) feels safe around him.
This reads to me as Shizuka making excuses for herself, and reassuring herself that it's okay to relax.
Does this mean that end-of-book depression should be treated with aftercare?
Poor Kakashi. He got reminded of Obito, and his attraction to Rin.
Aesthetic appreciation but little else? Big mood.
Woo, teammate get!
Kakashi, we both know that you've grown to care about her.
He's not secure enough to say it back, but he's willing to allow it to grow in that direction.
He'll get there.
KAKASHI: "Now that I'm an adult, I look in the mirror and see my father staring back at me."
Those chest burns couldn't have been happy with the temp change
She's learned Kakashi's impulses well.
Big mood. I moved to a place where I can't really see the stars at night, and I miss them. I didn't realize how much I enjoyed them until they were gone. Looking at a blank, light-polluted night sky still makes me sad, sometimes.
Kakashi is simply too handsome for people not to notice his appearance.
"Ugh, if I absolutely must."
Ameri has good banter, and seeing Kakashi conflicted about making friends/teammates is bittersweet. He has an air of mournful happiness, a sort of sorrow-smothered joy about him in this conversation.
