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Marked for Death: A Rational Naruto Quest

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Velorien said:
Yes. Her name was Keiko. Some things about Ami were deep and impenetrable mysteries, but that was not one of them.
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Velorien said:
"It's my own fault," Ami said. "I made light of the transitive property."
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Velorien said:
"Ami," he said carefully, looking into her eyes, "would you like to be family?"

"Hazō," she said equally carefully, "I have no idea what that means."
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Velorien said:
[...] I have never required close emotional bonds other than with Keiko, and certainly no acceptable candidates were forthcoming, it is a term ungrounded in personal experience. I have never required family; in fact, I would have strongly preferred the absence of same. Unfortunately, I was not consulted at the stage when you made yourself my adopted brother, and to the extent that the bond is real enough for Keiko, such that even the most critical errors on your part have failed to break it, that is not among my options."
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Oh, Ami. Stuck with someone who might just be her equal, someone with goals compatible to her own, someone who's close to the only person she's ever considered worthy enough to get close to. And she doesn't know how to handle it, since upending the board and throwing it all away isn't possible. Ami doesn't know how to navigate this emotional vulnerability. Oh, Ami.
 
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Velorien said:
"If that's true," Hazō said, "I can work with it. I'm Keiko's family and head of the Gōketsu, and neither of those are likely to change anytime soon, so at the very least, you shouldn't have any reason to work against me."

Ami didn't say anything, and went back to studying the rain streaming down the air dome.

"No, they aren't, are they?" she asked quietly.
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First reaction: oh heck is Ami planning to change that?
Velorien said:
Unfortunately, I was not consulted at the stage when you made yourself my adopted brother, and to the extent that the bond is real enough for Keiko, such that even the most critical errors on your part have failed to break it, that is not among my options.
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Oh. Oh. Ami's not planning to change it, she's resigned to it. And she doesn't know what to do with it. We're not Mori-family, and we're not Keiko, we're a new group altogether.

I... I think we should keep going, as-is. Test wits against Ami every so often, be ourselves around her and let her try to understand what her connection to Hazou is like, until she understands how to define that new group we occupy.

edit: also, some small evidence I spotted: when Hazou asked if Ami wanted to be family, she didn't respond with a joke about flirting or the marriage meme or anything. That suggests, to me, that the question struck closer to home than normal. (though of course a maximally deceptive Ami could fake even that concealed evidence of sincerity, but we have to work with what we've got)
 
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*Vibrates intensely*
vibing so fast about to phase through the seat
HAMI IS A GO!

Also, the multi-track-drifting, squuuuuuuuueeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
 
Inferno Vulpix said:
I think we should keep going, as-is. Test wits against Ami every so often, be ourselves around her and let her try to understand what her connection to Hazou is like, until she understands how to define that new group we occupy.
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Should we be honest about that? Say "Ami. I know this is difficult for you. I know you're not sure of how to feel or what being in a family is like. So why don't we keep doing what we've been doing (trading wit, go to the occasional dinner, and work together on the occasional plot) so that you have time enough to figure out your feelings. And when you have? There's a spot at our family dinner table, reserved for you."

Inferno Vulpix said:
also, some small evidence I spotted: when Hazou asked if Ami wanted to be family, she didn't respond with a joke about flirting or the marriage meme or anything. That suggests, to me, that the question struck closer to home than normal. (though of course a maximally deceptive Ami could fake even that concealed evidence of sincerity, but we have to work with what we've got)
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I think... I think Ami's tired. Tired of the masks. Tired of the pageantry and the roles she plays. I think, in this moment, Ami is feeling torn between the weight of being alone and the weight of not being alone. Even in Mist, Ami had to distance herself from Keiko. She's never had to deal with the "consequences" of being emotionally vulnerable before.

I think that Ami, in this moment, is being desperately vulnerable because no one, not even Ami or Mari, can act out a role forever. And Hazou's proven himself capable enough at discerning the truth from the lies. So, mired in emotional exhaustion, intense personal confusion, and deep resignation as she currently is... what would be the point in lying?

I think that this was a very rare, very real glimpse into the innermost thoughts and feelings of Ami. And my heart bleeds for her.
 
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redzonejoe said:
This sums it all up yes.

Can we give hugs?
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Jesus fuck does she need one... But would she accept it? I think... I think Ami needs a Mari-esque "we know you, [proof], and we accept you as you are." Maybe Ami's not ready for it, and maybe Hazou's not ready to say it. But Jesus fuck does it hurt to see Ami so alone and so conflicted about the possibility of not being alone anymore.
 
[X] Action Plan: The soul of iron is found in the heart of violence
  • Keiko, Hazou Yuno and Noburi go to mine
    • Use Shadow Clones, summons, explosives and vampire dew as appropriate
    • stack buffs
    • punch hard
    • kill everything in our path
      • Until estate is cleared
 
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Oneiros said:
[X] Action Plan: The soul of iron is found in the heart of violence
  • Keiko, Hazou and Noburi go to mine
    • Use Shadow Clones, summons, explosives and vampire dew as appropriate
    • stack buffs
    • punch hard
    • kill everything in our path
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Need to deliberately get summon killed. Dunno if "as appropriate" qualifies, might be worth specifying.
 
RandomOTP said:
Jesus fuck does she need one... But would she accept it? I think... I think Ami needs a Mari-esque "we know you, [proof], and we accept you as you are." Maybe Ami's not ready for it, and maybe Hazou's not ready to say it. But Jesus fuck does it hurt to see Ami so alone and so conflicted about the possibility of not being alone anymore.
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We also don't have enough proof yet, to make it convincing to Ami herself. If this is a watershed moment where we start truly understanding Ami, then what comes next is the new direction where we understand her more and more, until we can take that understanding and use it to express our acceptance of her.
 
[x] Action Plan: Canines and Caves
Words: 239
  • Off Screen
    • With Asuma's approval and input, arrange heavy escort mission for new Koi expert ASAP
    • Complete Chakdar seal before departing.
  • Enable Dungeon Crawl, with Candoru scouting ahead along the way
  • Throughout the mission and combat, Noburi employs mass chakra drain as necessary, so we can all keep using Summons/Shadow Clones
    • Approach the mine cautiously
    • Summon remaining Combat Summons and Shadow Clones before we get there
      • Ask Summons if they sense any threats
      • Have Candour scout out the land around the mine
      • Whenever possible, use Shadow Clones and Summons in combat
    • Clear the land around the mine
      • If Candoru isn't challenged by this, use Summons/Shadow Clones to direct beasts towards him, specifically
    • Have Candoru do the exploration of the mine by himself, scouting ahead as much as possible.
      • Once Candoru gives up/the summons get impatient, send in the remaining summons to help.
        • We're trying to get Candoru to admit he needs help.
    • Once clear/summons need help, maintain vigilance (ninjas and summons both) and cautiously enter the mine.
      • Reinforce as we go to prevent cave-ins
  • If we enter combat alongside summons
    • Avoid explosive seals due to possibility of cave-in/friendly fire.
  • Once inside, ensure that Purifier and Tunneler's Friend seals are always equipped, and a line of substitution targets all the way out.
  • After combat, move salvageable lumber to a reasonably secure location near the mine.
 
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RandomOTP said:
Oh, Ami. Stuck with someone who might just be her equal, someone with goals compatible to her own, someone who's close to the only person she's ever considered worthy enough to get close to. And she doesn't know how to handle it, since upending the board and throwing it all away isn't possible. Ami doesn't know how to navigate this emotional vulnerability. Oh, Ami.
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Could the hivemind Hazo be the one thing that Ami's never thought of facing /beating before?
 
Any suggestions?
RandomOTP said:
[x] Action Plan: Canines and Caves
Words: 230
  • Off Screen
    • With Asuma's approval and input, arrange heavy escort mission for new Koi expert ASAP
    • Complete Chakdar seal before departing.
  • Enable Dungeon Crawl, with Candoru scouting ahead along the way
  • Throughout the mission and combat, Noburi employs mass chakra drain as necessary, so we can all keep using Summons/Shadow Clones
    • Approach the mine cautiously
    • Summon remaining Combat Summons and Shadow Clones before we get there
      • Ask Summons if they sense any threats
      • Have Candour scout out the land around the mine
      • Whenever possible, use Shadow Clones and Summons in combat
    • Clear the land around the mine
      • If Candoru isn't challenged by this, use Summons/Shadow Clones to direct beasts towards him, specifically
    • Have Candoru do the exploration of the mine by himself, scouting ahead as much as possible.
      • Once Candoru gives up/the summons get impatient, send in the remaining summons to help.
        • We're trying to get Candoru to admit he needs help.
    • Once clear/summons need help, maintain vigilance (ninjas and summons both) and cautiously enter the mine.
  • If we enter combat alongside summons
    • Avoid explosive seals due to possibility of cave-in/friendly fire.
  • Once inside, ensure that Purifier and Tunneler's Friend seals are always equipped, and a line of substitution targets all the way out.
  • After combat, move salvageable lumber to a reasonably secure location near the mine.
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