Admittedly I dropped Bleach years ago, but it still comes up in other discussions sufficiently that I have gained some knowledge of the later plot through osmosis. My understanding was that both Chad and Orihime's powers were Fullbrings, i.e. they were exposed to hollow reiatsu before birth. I don't particularly see what the Hogyoku has to do with that.
Xander [Quest], Thread Fourteen: You Could Use the «Luck Bonus» Right About Now...
- Thread starter Judge Mental
- Start date
That's true, and exposure to Ichigo's overwhelming power certainly helped as well. I'm just saying that the Crumbling Orb was a catalyst for granting them power.Indrik said:
Judge Mental
Stranger In a Strange Land
[x] Burgers are fine.
Yeah, you have no problem with barbeque burgers.
After a few more questions about preferences in toppings and side-dishes, your mother withdraws to the kitchen, and then heads outside to warm up the grill. Zelda trails after her, sparing Lu-sensei a brief, nervous glance as she goes - not really scared, so much as shyly uncomfortable around this unfamiliar and strangely-dressed old person.
Silence hangs over the living room in the wake of the Harris girls' departure.
"Get you a drink while we wait?" your Dad offers to Lu-sensei.
"I am fine, but thank you for the offer."
You shake your head, and your father nods before heading into the kitchen. He returns with a glass of water, which he sips from as he sits down. Then he starts talking.
"Okay, so, the wife and I have questions and concerns. Mainly, they boil down to wanting to know why we weren't told that our son was going to get mixed up with... weird and exotically-dangerous stuff before now. We agreed to let him sign up for karate lessons expecting bumps and bruises, maybe a cracked bone or dislocated joint if things went badly. Magic and monsters were not in the brochure."
Lu-sensei nods. "And as concerned parents, you feel that I, as your son's teacher, have at best misrepresented myself to you, and at worst failed in my responsibilities."
"In so many words, yes."
"Well, to answer your original question, Mr. Harris, the reason you and your wife weren't told about the supernatural when your son joined my school is that, at the time, I did not know for certain if he would ever become involved with it himself. I suspected he had that potential, but I had no real proof, not until the day when Alex successfully manifested his ki for the first time."
"And when was that?"
"Several months prior to the World Tournament," Lu-sensei admits. "I did not inform you at the time because the unlocking of one's ki abilities is a delicate period in a martial artist's life. Confidence and positive mental attitude are crtiical - if you come to doubt or fear your newfound ability, you can cripple your potential, even seal it off entirely. Having family or friends express similar misgivings can be just as damaging, especially for children of Alex's age."
"So you don't tell people."
"Not until the sensitive stage is past, or their children choose to reveal their abilities." Lu-sensei grimaces slightly. "Given Alexander's progress, I normally would have informed you when we spoke about my taking him to the World Tournament. However, by that time I had become aware of his companion - you have been informed of Briar, I believe?"
"'Informed' sounds about right," your Dad admits. "Kind of hard to have a proper face-to-face with someone who's invisible, but she did turn Alex's shirt pink last night while he was levitating the remote. Apparently he can't cast two spells at once?"
Lu-sensei nods. "There are some highly skilled magic-users who can do such a thing, but it's a skill that Alex has not yet developed - otherwise I suspect he would have used it in the tournament."
You consider that, then shrug. Your Sensei isn't wrong.
"As I was saying, I sensed the fairy's presence, but I cannot truly perceive her any better than you, so I did not know what she was or why she was in Alex's company. I have enough prior experience with spiritual entities to be wary of letting one know that I am aware of her presence, even if she has been benign towards the boy she appears to be haunting. I also know a few people associated with the tournament who are better-suited to investigate such matters than I am, and I had intended to ask one of them to examine Alex for me and recommend a proper course of action. That turned out not to be necessary, though. Alex informed me of Briar's nature and activities practically our first night away from Sunnydale."
"Right after the bit with the unfriendly octopus." Tony nods. "Yeah, he mentioned that part."
Lu-sensei looks at you. "Really?"
Uh-oh.
[ ] Say something quick, before Sensei starts talking about Hawaiian Sorcerer Guy! (Write-in.)
[ ] Gesture silently for Lu-sensei to PLEASE not talk about Hawaiian Sorcerer Guy!
[ ] Silently pray that Lu-sensei will not talk about Hawaiian Sorcerer Guy!
Also, I look at how the character acts with respect to their magic. Willow is definitely an arcane spellcaster, because she never consistently follows one Power, calling on whichever one is most useful to the current situation. No divinity would let a worshipper get away with that. Tara's approach to magic is much closer to the divine method, though she might still be an arcane caster. Ethan, however, is a straight-up follower of Chaos.
-- I consider Nasu Magecraft and the products thereof to be inferior to D&D arcane magic and its creations, largely because Nasu explicitly subordinates modern Magecraft to magic from Earth's Age of the Gods. The majority of D&D settings are still IN their Age of the Gods, and have Gods of Magic running the spell systems (and mucking it up royally on Faerun every so often). Plus once you hit 7th-level, a sorcerer or wizard can do things that enter the territory of the True Magics (see Create Lesser Demiplane w/Permanency, Plane Shift, Limited Wish to replicate Raise Dead or Reincarnation, and if you're on Krynn, Timeheal).
-- Yes, the Grail War was intended to reach Akasha. AFAIK, it failed in that goal every time. Assuming the Type-Moon Wiki isn't full of rubbish (ha! laugh with me!), the Second War ended with the deaths of all participants, while the Third War's Lesser Grail was destroyed, making granting a wish impossible. The Fourth and Fifth Wars both ended disastrously, and again, with no wishes being granted. That leaves the First War, which from the Einzberns' point of view, "ended prematurely," which at least means no recovery of the Heaven's Feel, and most likely no Root, either. This would tend to put the Fuyuki Grail's avowed capabilities into the realm of unproven theory - at best, it granted one wish out of five attempts, which is a pretty damning rate of (catastrophic) failure.
For the sake of clarity and (hopefully) averting further lore debates, the Wishlist is how the different wish-granting agencies rank after adjustments to fit Xander [Quest]'s cosmology. Assuming they ever appear at all.
Yeah, you have no problem with barbeque burgers.
After a few more questions about preferences in toppings and side-dishes, your mother withdraws to the kitchen, and then heads outside to warm up the grill. Zelda trails after her, sparing Lu-sensei a brief, nervous glance as she goes - not really scared, so much as shyly uncomfortable around this unfamiliar and strangely-dressed old person.
Silence hangs over the living room in the wake of the Harris girls' departure.
"Get you a drink while we wait?" your Dad offers to Lu-sensei.
"I am fine, but thank you for the offer."
You shake your head, and your father nods before heading into the kitchen. He returns with a glass of water, which he sips from as he sits down. Then he starts talking.
"Okay, so, the wife and I have questions and concerns. Mainly, they boil down to wanting to know why we weren't told that our son was going to get mixed up with... weird and exotically-dangerous stuff before now. We agreed to let him sign up for karate lessons expecting bumps and bruises, maybe a cracked bone or dislocated joint if things went badly. Magic and monsters were not in the brochure."
Lu-sensei nods. "And as concerned parents, you feel that I, as your son's teacher, have at best misrepresented myself to you, and at worst failed in my responsibilities."
"In so many words, yes."
"Well, to answer your original question, Mr. Harris, the reason you and your wife weren't told about the supernatural when your son joined my school is that, at the time, I did not know for certain if he would ever become involved with it himself. I suspected he had that potential, but I had no real proof, not until the day when Alex successfully manifested his ki for the first time."
"And when was that?"
"Several months prior to the World Tournament," Lu-sensei admits. "I did not inform you at the time because the unlocking of one's ki abilities is a delicate period in a martial artist's life. Confidence and positive mental attitude are crtiical - if you come to doubt or fear your newfound ability, you can cripple your potential, even seal it off entirely. Having family or friends express similar misgivings can be just as damaging, especially for children of Alex's age."
"So you don't tell people."
"Not until the sensitive stage is past, or their children choose to reveal their abilities." Lu-sensei grimaces slightly. "Given Alexander's progress, I normally would have informed you when we spoke about my taking him to the World Tournament. However, by that time I had become aware of his companion - you have been informed of Briar, I believe?"
"'Informed' sounds about right," your Dad admits. "Kind of hard to have a proper face-to-face with someone who's invisible, but she did turn Alex's shirt pink last night while he was levitating the remote. Apparently he can't cast two spells at once?"
Lu-sensei nods. "There are some highly skilled magic-users who can do such a thing, but it's a skill that Alex has not yet developed - otherwise I suspect he would have used it in the tournament."
You consider that, then shrug. Your Sensei isn't wrong.
"As I was saying, I sensed the fairy's presence, but I cannot truly perceive her any better than you, so I did not know what she was or why she was in Alex's company. I have enough prior experience with spiritual entities to be wary of letting one know that I am aware of her presence, even if she has been benign towards the boy she appears to be haunting. I also know a few people associated with the tournament who are better-suited to investigate such matters than I am, and I had intended to ask one of them to examine Alex for me and recommend a proper course of action. That turned out not to be necessary, though. Alex informed me of Briar's nature and activities practically our first night away from Sunnydale."
"Right after the bit with the unfriendly octopus." Tony nods. "Yeah, he mentioned that part."
Lu-sensei looks at you. "Really?"
Uh-oh.
[ ] Say something quick, before Sensei starts talking about Hawaiian Sorcerer Guy! (Write-in.)
[ ] Gesture silently for Lu-sensei to PLEASE not talk about Hawaiian Sorcerer Guy!
[ ] Silently pray that Lu-sensei will not talk about Hawaiian Sorcerer Guy!
OOC: See Cytokinesis's post.Forgothrax said:
Also, I look at how the character acts with respect to their magic. Willow is definitely an arcane spellcaster, because she never consistently follows one Power, calling on whichever one is most useful to the current situation. No divinity would let a worshipper get away with that. Tara's approach to magic is much closer to the divine method, though she might still be an arcane caster. Ethan, however, is a straight-up follower of Chaos.
OOC: Wards are like the magical equivalent of fortifications, so, yeah, they're basically immobile.
GhostKing 666 said:
OOC: I am aware of all of this, thanks, and I did take it into account when I put together the aptly-dubbed "Wishlist." In an attempt to summarize:Prospalz said:
-- I consider Nasu Magecraft and the products thereof to be inferior to D&D arcane magic and its creations, largely because Nasu explicitly subordinates modern Magecraft to magic from Earth's Age of the Gods. The majority of D&D settings are still IN their Age of the Gods, and have Gods of Magic running the spell systems (and mucking it up royally on Faerun every so often). Plus once you hit 7th-level, a sorcerer or wizard can do things that enter the territory of the True Magics (see Create Lesser Demiplane w/Permanency, Plane Shift, Limited Wish to replicate Raise Dead or Reincarnation, and if you're on Krynn, Timeheal).
-- Yes, the Grail War was intended to reach Akasha. AFAIK, it failed in that goal every time. Assuming the Type-Moon Wiki isn't full of rubbish (ha! laugh with me!), the Second War ended with the deaths of all participants, while the Third War's Lesser Grail was destroyed, making granting a wish impossible. The Fourth and Fifth Wars both ended disastrously, and again, with no wishes being granted. That leaves the First War, which from the Einzberns' point of view, "ended prematurely," which at least means no recovery of the Heaven's Feel, and most likely no Root, either. This would tend to put the Fuyuki Grail's avowed capabilities into the realm of unproven theory - at best, it granted one wish out of five attempts, which is a pretty damning rate of (catastrophic) failure.
For the sake of clarity and (hopefully) averting further lore debates, the Wishlist is how the different wish-granting agencies rank after adjustments to fit Xander [Quest]'s cosmology. Assuming they ever appear at all.
OOC: I don't consider the Hogyoku a wish-granting agent, so much as a catalyst for spiritual empowerment and/or transformation. It has no power outside its narrowly-defined field of expertise, and it's by no means preeminent even in that narrow range - the Dragonballs can create an immortal, indestructible being too (if you take Garlic Jr. as canon), and one-third of the Triforce can create an immortal being that can't be defeated or sealed without help from the other two golden triangles (even then, it never sticks). To be honest, I suspect that the complete form of Nasu's Third True Magic could repeat or undo any of the Hogyoku's feats, including turning Aizen into Mr. Butterfly - or stripping him of his powers. And since the Fuyuki Grail could supposedly be used to restore the Heaven's Feel...windlich said:
[X] Say something quick, before Sensei starts talking about Hawaiian Sorcerer Guy!
-[X] "I'm sorry again Sensei that hitting that guy's pet meant he was so rude to you when he came to complain about it. I'm still surprised Cordillia slept through all the guy's ranting and shouting though."
The truth made to bend over and cry folks : )
-[X] "I'm sorry again Sensei that hitting that guy's pet meant he was so rude to you when he came to complain about it. I'm still surprised Cordillia slept through all the guy's ranting and shouting though."
The truth made to bend over and cry folks : )
Have we actually told Sensei about the second encounter with Mr Nutter-Mage?Usernames said:
We told him we had an encounter with him, but it wasn't specified whether we told him that it was a duel to the death. We probably did tell him though.Madfish said:
Edit: Looking back, it's referenced as a death-match so I'd be surprised if we didn't tell him everything.
Just to be sure though...Judge Mental said:
How much did we tell Lu-Sensei about our death-duel with the Sorcerer?Judge Mental said:
Either way, it's just a sliding scale of how bad it could get. While I hope he doesn't say a ton of incriminating stuff, I could see Lu-Sensei thinking it his responsibility to tell our parents the full truth now that they are being informed. On the other hand, it is really sensitive stuff, much more so than pretty much everything else and he'll probably take that into account.
Bleh, I still deeply regret being the driving force behind Gorn and one of the large factors in the Sorcerer outcome. I wish I could smack my earlier self upside the head
Judge Mental
Stranger In a Strange Land
OOC: Lu-sensei got a pretty accurate play-by-play - one part D-rank Filial Piety and Honesty, one part Traumatic Memories, and one part young martial artist going to his master for advice on where he could do better in a serious fight. That said, Alex mentioned Hawaiian Sorcerer Guy's monkey set off an emergency teleport at the last second, and Lu-sensei knows the implications of that.Cytokinesis said:
You know, I think it might actually be a good idea to confess to underselling the threat of the octopus. Dad was hurt earlier when we showed we didn't trust him, and well, this is not trusting him either.
He's reacted remarkably well to all of this, so we should maybe be more honest here to head of some of the debate.
I still wouldn't talk about the death-duel as that really is way beyond the pale, but admitting that we haven't been totally honest about the danger (and that it was our fault for running off without asking Lu-Sensei for help) may be a good idea for the future.
Lies have a tendency to implode relations when they get revealed, and it'll probably be no difference here. We did have reasons, like not wanting our parents to have a knee jerk reaction, but so far we've been severely underestimating how awesome they are and Alex should probably show some faith in them.
So yeah, it's up to Lu-Sensei whether or not he's going to talk about the deathmatch. I'm incredibly uncomfortable discussing that or Gorn like ever, but it's partially out of our hands right now.
He's reacted remarkably well to all of this, so we should maybe be more honest here to head of some of the debate.
I still wouldn't talk about the death-duel as that really is way beyond the pale, but admitting that we haven't been totally honest about the danger (and that it was our fault for running off without asking Lu-Sensei for help) may be a good idea for the future.
Lies have a tendency to implode relations when they get revealed, and it'll probably be no difference here. We did have reasons, like not wanting our parents to have a knee jerk reaction, but so far we've been severely underestimating how awesome they are and Alex should probably show some faith in them.
Thanks, that's just about what I was guessing.Judge Mental said:
So yeah, it's up to Lu-Sensei whether or not he's going to talk about the deathmatch. I'm incredibly uncomfortable discussing that or Gorn like ever, but it's partially out of our hands right now.
I'm really leaning towards confessing at least part of the danger here, though I could be convinced otherwise.
Why? Well, it's a matter of Courage. We pretty nearly failed that test is Navi's realm and for the exact same reasons - we were too afraid to tell the truth, so we dug ourselves in deeper by obscuring the issue and telling lies. I think ultimately, being more honest with our parents, especially since we're going to be discussing supernatural dangers soon anyway, is a good idea for the long run (if not necessarily for the short run).
Our lack of Courage is also what caused Gorn's and the Sorcerer's deaths in the first place. For Gorn it was a matter of not believing that we could handle him nonlethally. We did have spells that probably could have put him down - an overpowered sleeping spell could have done the trick, and I'm sure I could think of a few more with a quick glance at the spell list. For the Sorcerer it was fear that he would come after us when he got away, even though we had confirmation from Judge that it could have been resolved.
Yes, it's possible they both would have come back to haunt us, but that's the thing - we didn't have the Courage to accept that possibility, to be the better person and look for the best solution rather than to go for the one that solved the immediate problem. Being both an eight year old (which means he should not be making these kinds of decisions) and the reincarnation of Ganondorf (which means he absolutely should distance himself from those kinds of instinctual rage reactions - and go reread the relevant posts if you doubt that rage was involved in the decision making), we have to work much harder to be good than a normal person. Or at least should if we want to go for the best ending and be the hero.
So anyway, all said and done this is the vote I'm thinking of here. A leap of faith that our father, who has been totally awesome in every appearance, will continue being awesome. Essentially what I'm aiming for here is that we demonstrate to our father more trust to him. We did have reasons for our action - Alex actually listed some way back when, and their are others (such as not letting it hurt other people). We should probably be very clear that it was our fault for rushing out of the hotel and not telling Lu-Sensei as well, if it comes up.
[x] Say something quick, before Sensei starts talking about Hawaiian Sorcerer Guy!
- [x] Apologize and confess about how dangerous the octopus was. Explain your reasoning both for fighting it and not explaining it earlier. Don't say anything about the Hawaiian Sorcerer Guy just yet.
This also serves as an introduction to supernatural beasties and dangers. I get the feeling that Judge had our mom, who is more likely to react badly to thoughts of danger as we saw last night, get out of the conversation for a reason
I still welcome debate, counterpoints, and (especially) suggestions as to changes, so feel free to speak up. I'm aware that this will be a contentious vote, so don't be afraid to call me out on it. I'd rather people not vote because it's a bandwagon, but rather vote because they actually think it may be right.
Why? Well, it's a matter of Courage. We pretty nearly failed that test is Navi's realm and for the exact same reasons - we were too afraid to tell the truth, so we dug ourselves in deeper by obscuring the issue and telling lies. I think ultimately, being more honest with our parents, especially since we're going to be discussing supernatural dangers soon anyway, is a good idea for the long run (if not necessarily for the short run).
Our lack of Courage is also what caused Gorn's and the Sorcerer's deaths in the first place. For Gorn it was a matter of not believing that we could handle him nonlethally. We did have spells that probably could have put him down - an overpowered sleeping spell could have done the trick, and I'm sure I could think of a few more with a quick glance at the spell list. For the Sorcerer it was fear that he would come after us when he got away, even though we had confirmation from Judge that it could have been resolved.
Yes, it's possible they both would have come back to haunt us, but that's the thing - we didn't have the Courage to accept that possibility, to be the better person and look for the best solution rather than to go for the one that solved the immediate problem. Being both an eight year old (which means he should not be making these kinds of decisions) and the reincarnation of Ganondorf (which means he absolutely should distance himself from those kinds of instinctual rage reactions - and go reread the relevant posts if you doubt that rage was involved in the decision making), we have to work much harder to be good than a normal person. Or at least should if we want to go for the best ending and be the hero.
So anyway, all said and done this is the vote I'm thinking of here. A leap of faith that our father, who has been totally awesome in every appearance, will continue being awesome. Essentially what I'm aiming for here is that we demonstrate to our father more trust to him. We did have reasons for our action - Alex actually listed some way back when, and their are others (such as not letting it hurt other people). We should probably be very clear that it was our fault for rushing out of the hotel and not telling Lu-Sensei as well, if it comes up.
[x] Say something quick, before Sensei starts talking about Hawaiian Sorcerer Guy!
- [x] Apologize and confess about how dangerous the octopus was. Explain your reasoning both for fighting it and not explaining it earlier. Don't say anything about the Hawaiian Sorcerer Guy just yet.
This also serves as an introduction to supernatural beasties and dangers. I get the feeling that Judge had our mom, who is more likely to react badly to thoughts of danger as we saw last night, get out of the conversation for a reason
I still welcome debate, counterpoints, and (especially) suggestions as to changes, so feel free to speak up. I'm aware that this will be a contentious vote, so don't be afraid to call me out on it. I'd rather people not vote because it's a bandwagon, but rather vote because they actually think it may be right.
Gorn was pretty much as clear-cut a case of self-defense as one could possibly ask for, and, well, you could at least make a pretty good case that we had solid reasons not to hold back on Old Sorcerer Guy, no matter how badly hurt he seemed before we launched the final attack. (Not to mention that we haven't actually confirmed the kill.)Usernames said:Last thing we need the parents know is we are a murder. Killing Children and elderly.
(We only kill a demon kid and a old wizard but still)
We're a killer, but not a murderer.
...Not that our parents are likely to appreciate the distinction here.
[X] Say something quick, before Sensei starts talking about Hawaiian Sorcerer Guy! (Write-in.)
-[x] "I think it was a lightning demon squid technically. But yeah we covered the fight with the squid and I showed some of the tournament tapes. Don't think I mentioned anything else like my search for reagents."
Creative truth telling that avoids mentioning anything about any other fights we got into. Let's see if we can get some ranks in "Creative Truths".
There are some secrets that should see about keeping. Like the whole we have a kill count of two. One was quite evil and the other was either evil, not in the magic/spiritual sense but the moral one, (likely) or insane (also likely), both is also a valid option. However, best to avoid that bit. If sensei wants to talk about sorcerer dude then its his call but this lets him know we didn't mention the sorcerer.
-[x] "I think it was a lightning demon squid technically. But yeah we covered the fight with the squid and I showed some of the tournament tapes. Don't think I mentioned anything else like my search for reagents."
Creative truth telling that avoids mentioning anything about any other fights we got into. Let's see if we can get some ranks in "Creative Truths".
There are some secrets that should see about keeping. Like the whole we have a kill count of two. One was quite evil and the other was either evil, not in the magic/spiritual sense but the moral one, (likely) or insane (also likely), both is also a valid option. However, best to avoid that bit. If sensei wants to talk about sorcerer dude then its his call but this lets him know we didn't mention the sorcerer.
[x] Say something quick, before Sensei starts talking about Hawaiian Sorcerer Guy!
-[x]confirm that we briefly went over it while talking about magic.
-[x]confirm that we briefly went over it while talking about magic.
Vindictus
XENO
- Location
- Texas
They could be, technically, but doing so would miss the point IMO.Stormseed said:
Vindictus
XENO
- Location
- Texas
Barbecue is a method of slow-cooking, actually, similar to smoking- It's not, technically, restricted to any single kind of meat, though some kinds are barbecued more frequently than others.Stormseed said:
The use of BBQ sauce is pretty ubiquitous too, but that's merely one method of applying the barbecue spices- There's also rubs, and I've heard good things about injecting the spice too.
frozenchicken
Does not have a custom title.
[x] Say something quick, before Sensei starts talking about Hawaiian Sorcerer Guy!
- [x] Apologize and confess about how dangerous the octopus was. Explain your reasoning both for fighting it and not explaining it earlier. Don't say anything about the Hawaiian Sorcerer Guy just yet.
- [x] Apologize and confess about how dangerous the octopus was. Explain your reasoning both for fighting it and not explaining it earlier. Don't say anything about the Hawaiian Sorcerer Guy just yet.
- Location
- California
[x] Say something quick, before Sensei starts talking about Hawaiian Sorcerer Guy!
- [x] Apologize and confess about how dangerous the octopus was. Explain your reasoning both for fighting it and not explaining it earlier. Don't say anything about the Hawaiian Sorcerer Guy just yet.
- [x] Apologize and confess about how dangerous the octopus was. Explain your reasoning both for fighting it and not explaining it earlier. Don't say anything about the Hawaiian Sorcerer Guy just yet.
[x] Say something quick, before Sensei starts talking about Hawaiian Sorcerer Guy! (Write-in.)
-[x] before we get on to this topic mom dad one of the letters i got yesterday was from my friend from the martial arts tournaments asking if i can come to her birthday party
we have to git this don to day we have already held him up a day as it is
-[x] before we get on to this topic mom dad one of the letters i got yesterday was from my friend from the martial arts tournaments asking if i can come to her birthday party
we have to git this don to day we have already held him up a day as it is