[So she sees Ozuma as well-intentioned, but ultimately incompetent. True, Leonardo hadn't sensed any ill intent from him upon arriving, but... he's been wrong before. On that topic, there's nothing strictly attesting to this girl's honesty either, and yet Leo has few other options. She reminds him a little bit of a well-spoken version of his brother - blunt, aggressive body language, harsh words that might be indicative of a temper. It's points in her favor.]
[Or maybe Leo is just looking for things that aren't really there.]
[Regardless, she's working with him and he appreciates that. Even if it sounds like a pretty sketchy Plan B at best. He watches her pause in front of the two faceless statues; his gaze lingers there itself, not having noticed them before, but his attention refocuses on her without missing a beat.]
A warrior honor-bound to keep his promise? Sounds simple enough.
[There's doubt in his tone. When is it ever simple enough?]
[She looks over him appraisingly. With a mask and a face only partly resembling a human, he's surprisingly emotive. It's not a wide range of expression that he's showing her now, but his eyes are sharp. By the way he watches her, Rin can tell he's assessing her as critically as she is him.]
You're skeptical. [It's not a question, but an observation. She drops her hand back to her hip.] I think more highly of you, for that.
[Is that mild praise he hears? So much for reminding him of Raph. Despite himself, Leonardo finds it necessary to hide his amusement by turning back to the sigil and swiping his palm roughly through the chalk, smudging it into nothing more than streaks of white dust. No sense in leaving it up for prying eyes. As he turns back to her, clapping the chalky residue free from his palms, his speech is slow and carefully diplomatic.]
Don't get me wrong - I won't doubt a warrior who has sworn by his honor. But none of this tracks right. All of these backgrounds, lack of real leadership, no military structure... [He pauses with a grimace that deepens the frown lines around his mouth.] I don't think anyone on this side knows what they're doing.
[Which, granted, is a pretty rude thing to say about a deity, an avatar, and their chosen warriors.]
That's exactly the problem. It's way too slapdash.
[Leo needn't have spoken so carefully, apparently; Rin agrees with him without hesitation. When he faces her, he'll find her arms folded across her chest again and wearing a frown to match the seriousness of his scolding.]
It's not an elegant solution, or even an ideal one. But unfortunately, it's the best one available. And the simple truth is if more of us showed initiative and moved past those things, we'd be a lot closer to proving if this is the right solution or not by now. Maybe we would even be home.
[Leo's voice is tight. Ideally, he wants to find out where his brothers went, but at least he knows this Battle Nexus portal would work in his home dimension. There's nothing for it, then - he has to fight another war between two factions he has no real attachment to, for reasons more personal than anything else.]
[He crosses his arms and regards the human, mirroring him in both pose and expression. It suddenly strikes him that she looks more like she belongs in school than in a war room. What history shaped this teenage girl into a more competent and driven character than the warrior spirit who brought her here, he wonders?]
[It's none of his business, in the end, so he takes her for what she presents herself as: an ally. Softening his own body language, Leonardo balls one fist and presses it into a palm in front of him. He dips into a cordial bow, his voice flipping some switch into a soft and low tone.]
If this is our only choice, then you have my sword at your side. I am Leonardo.
[Good, he agrees. That's excellent. It appears this newcomer Ozuma brought in has good sense after— wait, why is he bowing?
Leonardo's dignified declaration meets stunned silence from Rin's end, who stares at him with wide eyes and reddening cheeks. The bow is distinctly Japanese, but she feels as if she's standing before a knight from his posture, and the way he speaks to her. It makes her think of Archer, and nostalgia unexpectedly squeezes (painfully) at her heart.]
[Not wanting to doubt a warrior's honor, promising his sword... There's a quiet nobility to him, isn't there? Rin can't help but think Saber would like him as she fidgets side to side, noting for the first time the actual swords on Leonardo's back.
Yes, Saber is a much better comparison. She'd undoubtedly approve. Can such people exist in this day and age?]
[Rin lightly scratches one cheek, eyes flicking back and forth in a nervous way. She's obviously flustered, but her lack of composure isn't long-lived. Shifting back and forth, she eventually faces Leo fully again with a broad and happy grin. It's too soon to tell if a guy like this promising to be her ally is a good thing, but she can't deny he has style.]
[Part of the reason Leonardo is so good at what he does lies in his ability to read others. His bow is polite, but not drawn out, and by the time his hands are lowered again he can see that he's caught her off guard. Something close to a good-natured amusement flushes through him. He tends to forget how over-the-top a traditional Japanese introduction can seem to some.]
[Only she gives her name in turn, and Leo can't help but recognize it as Japanese itself. Interesting. Her broad smile is disarming - and he thinks he really must be homesick, because an unexpected warmth fills the space where there had just been cool respect for a fellow warrior. He pushes the knowledge that he may not see his brothers again for a while under lock and key, and focuses instead on the task at hand.]
It's an honor to meet you, Rin. [Then, again like flipping a switch, the deep and proper intonation of Leonardo's voice switches for a tone more casual.] You've been here longer than I have. Thoughts on our situation?
[She nods, angling her head to view the row of statues lining the hall. It's been long enough that she can recognize most of the latter ones.]
Ridding Shadows from this castle bit by bit has definitely had a positive effect. I've noticed the power Ozuma gets from his god has become more potent, the more the Queen loses her grip. He's better able to keep her from retaking areas we've saved the more we accomplish, and grant us favors too. Have you heard about those?
[There's a glint of sarcasm, or perhaps cynicism, behind it. He doesn't comment further, steering back to her original point.]
So the harder we push, the weaker the Queen's forces get. Standard maneuver warfare. [Leo pauses, his gaze landing on one of the larger statues for a moment. Are those kinds of creatures common here? No wonder Rin didn't seem all that surprised at his appearance.] Only... that usually relies on small, highly trained platoons. I get the feeling that's not quite what we're working with, here.
When I first arrived, the importance of working together was preached at me left and right. Personally, I think they take it too far.
[She waves a hand dismissively.] Everyone seems to have this "the more, the better" mentality, so you get large groups each time a group goes out.
The thing is, as capable as we all are, our tactical and combat prowesses rarely compliment one another. You can imagine how this would be especially true the larger a team gets.
[He said something similar himself just moments before.]
Since I've been here, the most productive run we've had was a month where we sent four smaller teams out, back-to-back. Because we scouted the areas first, inadvertently alerting the Queen, the Shadow resistance was heavy, but we were still able to fight them back and solve each room's puzzle effectively.
You can't deny the results. With everything the Queen throws our way to prevent us from going out some months, I think that's the approach we should start taking again.
[Leo's gaze shifts somewhere past her, his brow ticking downward into a mild look of bemusement. From the sounds of it, this isn't much of a war at all. What would be a more accurate term? Skirmishes? This has the feel of an unorganized militia pushing against an enemy's borders, with no real chain of command or military doctrine.]
[A flicker of frustration settles in the creases of Leonardo's mask. He's used to being part of a well-oiled machine - this is already shaping up to be far more complicated. But Rin is still right. If they're operating at a milita level of strength, then they have to focus more on skillsets and strong cohesion than raw war of attrition.]
All right. I don't know your people, but... I think you've got the right idea. Smaller teams with good synergy. Specialized squads, maybe. It wouldn't hurt to have a team or two that's good at making a lot of noise. [He pauses, wondering if he's overstepping his boundaries. Leo is used to making calls, but he guesses he probably doesn't have a lot of weight to throw around here yet.] Is there any kind of leadership in our ranks? Someone people will rally under?
They're not my people, although I have worked with the most reliable of them.
[Hm. She turns to her side and taps her chin.]
If you narrow that list down further by the leadership qualities you're after, the clear front runner would be Zuko and— [someone else someone else wasn't there someone else?] —and me as a close second, I suppose.
[Should she count Katherine? Rin thinks to, but decides against it. Katherine, and a few others, definitely show initiative, but the mission she went on with her wasn't well thought out. Katherine had struck her as someone who just wanted to let off steam, which had suited her fine at the time — she had signed up for similar reasons — but in the long run doesn't present itself as an effective demonstration of reliable command.]
Of course, that's only if you count towards this respect. If you include crises closer to the safe zone that impact everyone, then you can include Colin among that number. And sometimes Sans.
[That she names herself among the others is no real surprise - Leonardo would have been slightly disappointed if she hadn't. He's only known the girl for a few minutes, but her tone and presence both befit that of a leader. Is she experienced in the area, perhaps? He wonders if putting the other name before herself is a testament to Rin's confidence in Zuko... or an attempt at humbling herself.]
[Either way, every name is noted. Just as he notes her casual dismissal of his terminology; he supposes it just further highlights how little they view themselves as one unified force.]
What can you tell me about them? Are they -- [Leo bites his tongue, and a look that might translate as sheepish creeps across his reptilian features. It's hard to turn off, but he doesn't want Rin to feel like he's interrogating her over the competence of the only potential leaders around. Even if that's precisely what he's doing.] Sorry. This is just a lot to take in.
[If they were a stronger force, Rin would be proud of it, but they would never be her people. If given a chance to go home right now, no strings attached, she would feel no remorse for leaving any of them behind. Or so she tells herself; enough times that you could say it's half true.
She raises an eyebrow as Leo seems to backpedal.]
You've been here for how long... Three days? Of course it would be. If you need to sleep on what I've told you, that's fine.
[Good, she isn't offended. Raph would have kicked him into a tunnel for all of this talking by now. His initial comparison of her to his brother really had been in error. Leo tilts his head thoughtfully before giving it a shake in the negative.]
No. Sun Tzu once said, 'Know thyself, know thy enemy. A thousand battles, a thousand victories.' The sooner I know exactly what we're up against, the better.
[In fact, Leonardo is beginning to think that it's fortunate for this to be the first person he's had a real conversation with. He might have been more inclined to go at this solo if he'd spoken with someone less willing to talk business with him.]
Zuko, Colin, and Sans. They're reliable? And what do you mean, 'crises closer to the safe zone'?
[She smirks, and for a moment... It's approving, but just a little bit wicked. Right then, that had been a test, She could do without the pretentious quote, but he would have only lost her respect if he'd taken her up on that offer and left early.]
[It's blink and you'd miss it. The next moment, Rin nods as if to say "very well" and continues.]
It's just what it sounds like; a crisis is a crisis. To keep us from actively fighting her, the Queen likes to stir up trouble closer to home. Sometimes it's been an attempt on our lives, like whisking us into a death trap; other times it's plaguing us with an inconvenience that would make it near impossible to fight, like seeing each other's memories or dealing with evil doppelgängers. Sometimes she doesn't even have to do that, because Ozuma will have screwed up something instead.
[She shakes her head, annoyed by more than one case of this. But she's already related to him of Ozuma's struggles with competency.]
Depending on the issue at hand, there's not always something we can do but weather it out, but when it comes to saving lives, we're on the ball. Colin is pompous and has an unbearable personality, but he's smart. Reliable. His preparations came in handy rescuing Ozuma once, and during the food shortage.
Sans is possibly more brilliant, although you wouldn't guess it from a single conversation. He won't do more than play mission control from safety, if he'll do much at all, but he's the one who built that generator in the Altar Room, and developed our communication system. Actually, we would have died in October if not for him— oh.
[If Leonardo notices her catlike grin, he doesn't mention it. His head remains tilted in undeterred interest as he absorbs her words, clearly taking every scrap of information quite seriously. He notes the mention of the death trap and the food shortage - as well as the two names. Colin: a jerk, but smart and reliable. He can probably work with that.]
[Sans piques his interest as well. Brilliant, but... what? Overly cautious? The same could be said of Leonardo's own brother, Donatello, but he thinks he's reading signals in her word choice that don't seem to line up with that comparison. Even Don regularly works in the field despite the dangers. He's about to press for more information on this name when Rin pauses, seemingly surprising herself somehow.]
[Leo raises an eye ridge and waits for a beat to see if she'll continue unprompted.]
[Oh yes, definitely. It only takes a moment to realize her error, and move to correct it.]
Mm, I neglected someone before: my roommate, Kida Masaomi.
[Rin raises her head, eyes scanning the line of statues once more. Strange to think that event was four months ago now, isn't it? Some of these very people had been in the castle still; flesh and soggy bone in the cages alongside hers. The blue gaze settles on a smaller one in particular.
He'd been one of two people to save her life that day.]
Back in October, half of us woke up in cages hanging off the cliffside, on a steady descent to be submerged. I forgot because it wasn't a typical mission and I was among those trapped, but Kida-kun really came through for us.
[She looks back at Leo, waving a hand.] Despite being new here, from what I heard later on, he was the one to take charge organizing the rescue efforts on the outside.
[Which was no small task, she knows intimately. She can remember the dawning realization she had realizing the location of her cage's key. Even as she held steadfast to that glimmer of hope that things would turn out alright, she had to make peace with the fact too, that she might die hours before they found the key in that huge altar room.]
[Another Japanese name. Leonardo wonders if there's a pattern to be found there. More interesting than that, however, is the way Rin's eyes scan the room slowly as if looking for something. Once they settle, Leo's own gaze flicks to observe the object of interest. A statue of a child, more detailed than the two he'd looked at earlier. Leo isn't entirely sure what this room is, but the statues here are both diverse and plentiful. It's clearly a place with a lot of history.]
[A likely possibility hits him like a blow from something blunt: fallen warriors, maybe. Why are so many of them kids? The thought opens a gate of righteous anger that he immediately caps, knowing this isn't the place for it. Instead, Leo turns his thoughts back to Rin's explanation. Not only does Kida sound competent, she's got an actual crisis situation to back up his reliability. That's good. He nods, the name instantly floating near the top of his list of people to look out for.]
She was stuck — oh wait. You mean what she's like.
[That's right, she didn't get to her after describing Sans and Colin. For a moment there Rin thought they were still discussing the incident with the cages. She waves a scolding hand at herself. No worries, she gets it now!]
Zuko is the most dependable person that I've worked with in this castle. Like I told you, if someone is putting a group together to go out, usually it's either her or me, but between the two of us, Zuko is the one who has been here longer. She has the most experience.
[Rin tosses a long ponytail over her shoulder, brushing her hair back.]
She's quick to act in a crisis, and works strategically. Her interpersonal skills are clumsy, but not in a bad way. In a professional environment, she knows exactly how to use and work with others, and genuinely looks out for their safety. She's a good leader.
[A lot of praise, from a person Leonardo suspects doesn't give it out lightly. He finds a mild smile tugging the edges of his beak. It's good to hear that even in a ragtag, disorganized group such as this, there are people with strong leadership qualities and a commitment to looking out for their people.]
[Rin, of course, had spurned the idea of them being called her people. Leonardo wonders if Zuko would have a similar reaction, and if if not, whether that might be the distinction that made Rin put her name first.]
[In any case, he appreciates the information - but he thinks that's about all he's going to dig for on the topic of the others. Far be it from Leonardo to take things at face value rather than form his own opinions. The smile twists at one corner, and his tone tilts towards one that might even be teasing.]
That's good to hear. You guys had me worried for a minute.
[Now that he's more clued into the situation, it's easier to see a more relaxed line in his shoulders; there's even a spark of understated enthusiasm in his eyes. Ninja boys will be ninja boys.]
So. Here's the big question: think we can pull this off?
[That's the first touch of good humor she's seen to him. Underlying it is a challenge; that any answer short of yes would be a disappointment, and for that reason he anticipates what her answer will be.
Well, he's not wrong. He won't be hearing no from her anytime soon.]
Naturally. [Locking one arm behind her back, she cants her head to the side and scoffs.] I'm not staying here forever. I'll do it all myself if I have to. If I've convinced you to lend your aid, however, I won't say no to it.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
[Or maybe Leo is just looking for things that aren't really there.]
[Regardless, she's working with him and he appreciates that. Even if it sounds like a pretty sketchy Plan B at best. He watches her pause in front of the two faceless statues; his gaze lingers there itself, not having noticed them before, but his attention refocuses on her without missing a beat.]
A warrior honor-bound to keep his promise? Sounds simple enough.
[There's doubt in his tone. When is it ever simple enough?]
no subject
You're skeptical. [It's not a question, but an observation. She drops her hand back to her hip.] I think more highly of you, for that.
no subject
Don't get me wrong - I won't doubt a warrior who has sworn by his honor. But none of this tracks right. All of these backgrounds, lack of real leadership, no military structure... [He pauses with a grimace that deepens the frown lines around his mouth.] I don't think anyone on this side knows what they're doing.
[Which, granted, is a pretty rude thing to say about a deity, an avatar, and their chosen warriors.]
no subject
[Leo needn't have spoken so carefully, apparently; Rin agrees with him without hesitation. When he faces her, he'll find her arms folded across her chest again and wearing a frown to match the seriousness of his scolding.]
It's not an elegant solution, or even an ideal one. But unfortunately, it's the best one available. And the simple truth is if more of us showed initiative and moved past those things, we'd be a lot closer to proving if this is the right solution or not by now. Maybe we would even be home.
no subject
[Leo's voice is tight. Ideally, he wants to find out where his brothers went, but at least he knows this Battle Nexus portal would work in his home dimension. There's nothing for it, then - he has to fight another war between two factions he has no real attachment to, for reasons more personal than anything else.]
[He crosses his arms and regards the human, mirroring him in both pose and expression. It suddenly strikes him that she looks more like she belongs in school than in a war room. What history shaped this teenage girl into a more competent and driven character than the warrior spirit who brought her here, he wonders?]
[It's none of his business, in the end, so he takes her for what she presents herself as: an ally. Softening his own body language, Leonardo balls one fist and presses it into a palm in front of him. He dips into a cordial bow, his voice flipping some switch into a soft and low tone.]
If this is our only choice, then you have my sword at your side. I am Leonardo.
1/3
Leonardo's dignified declaration meets stunned silence from Rin's end, who stares at him with wide eyes and reddening cheeks. The bow is distinctly Japanese, but she feels as if she's standing before a knight from his posture, and the way he speaks to her. It makes her think of Archer, and nostalgia unexpectedly squeezes (painfully) at her heart.]
no subject
Yes, Saber is a much better comparison. She'd undoubtedly approve. Can such people exist in this day and age?]
Done
Rin. Tohsaka Rin.
no subject
[Only she gives her name in turn, and Leo can't help but recognize it as Japanese itself. Interesting. Her broad smile is disarming - and he thinks he really must be homesick, because an unexpected warmth fills the space where there had just been cool respect for a fellow warrior. He pushes the knowledge that he may not see his brothers again for a while under lock and key, and focuses instead on the task at hand.]
It's an honor to meet you, Rin. [Then, again like flipping a switch, the deep and proper intonation of Leonardo's voice switches for a tone more casual.] You've been here longer than I have. Thoughts on our situation?
no subject
[She nods, angling her head to view the row of statues lining the hall. It's been long enough that she can recognize most of the latter ones.]
Ridding Shadows from this castle bit by bit has definitely had a positive effect. I've noticed the power Ozuma gets from his god has become more potent, the more the Queen loses her grip. He's better able to keep her from retaking areas we've saved the more we accomplish, and grant us favors too. Have you heard about those?
[> Press B to skip this tutorial.]
no subject
Rewards for services rendered.
[There's a glint of sarcasm, or perhaps cynicism, behind it. He doesn't comment further, steering back to her original point.]
So the harder we push, the weaker the Queen's forces get. Standard maneuver warfare. [Leo pauses, his gaze landing on one of the larger statues for a moment. Are those kinds of creatures common here? No wonder Rin didn't seem all that surprised at his appearance.] Only... that usually relies on small, highly trained platoons. I get the feeling that's not quite what we're working with, here.
no subject
[She waves a hand dismissively.] Everyone seems to have this "the more, the better" mentality, so you get large groups each time a group goes out.
The thing is, as capable as we all are, our tactical and combat prowesses rarely compliment one another. You can imagine how this would be especially true the larger a team gets.
[He said something similar himself just moments before.]
Since I've been here, the most productive run we've had was a month where we sent four smaller teams out, back-to-back. Because we scouted the areas first, inadvertently alerting the Queen, the Shadow resistance was heavy, but we were still able to fight them back and solve each room's puzzle effectively.
You can't deny the results. With everything the Queen throws our way to prevent us from going out some months, I think that's the approach we should start taking again.
no subject
[A flicker of frustration settles in the creases of Leonardo's mask. He's used to being part of a well-oiled machine - this is already shaping up to be far more complicated. But Rin is still right. If they're operating at a milita level of strength, then they have to focus more on skillsets and strong cohesion than raw war of attrition.]
All right. I don't know your people, but... I think you've got the right idea. Smaller teams with good synergy. Specialized squads, maybe. It wouldn't hurt to have a team or two that's good at making a lot of noise. [He pauses, wondering if he's overstepping his boundaries. Leo is used to making calls, but he guesses he probably doesn't have a lot of weight to throw around here yet.] Is there any kind of leadership in our ranks? Someone people will rally under?
no subject
They're not my people, although I have worked with the most reliable of them.
[Hm. She turns to her side and taps her chin.]
If you narrow that list down further by the leadership qualities you're after, the clear front runner would be Zuko and— [someone else someone else wasn't there someone else?] —and me as a close second, I suppose.
[Should she count Katherine? Rin thinks to, but decides against it. Katherine, and a few others, definitely show initiative, but the mission she went on with her wasn't well thought out. Katherine had struck her as someone who just wanted to let off steam, which had suited her fine at the time — she had signed up for similar reasons — but in the long run doesn't present itself as an effective demonstration of reliable command.]
Of course, that's only if you count towards this respect. If you include crises closer to the safe zone that impact everyone, then you can include Colin among that number. And sometimes Sans.
no subject
[Either way, every name is noted. Just as he notes her casual dismissal of his terminology; he supposes it just further highlights how little they view themselves as one unified force.]
What can you tell me about them? Are they -- [Leo bites his tongue, and a look that might translate as sheepish creeps across his reptilian features. It's hard to turn off, but he doesn't want Rin to feel like he's interrogating her over the competence of the only potential leaders around. Even if that's precisely what he's doing.] Sorry. This is just a lot to take in.
no subject
She raises an eyebrow as Leo seems to backpedal.]
You've been here for how long... Three days? Of course it would be. If you need to sleep on what I've told you, that's fine.
no subject
No. Sun Tzu once said, 'Know thyself, know thy enemy. A thousand battles, a thousand victories.' The sooner I know exactly what we're up against, the better.
[In fact, Leonardo is beginning to think that it's fortunate for this to be the first person he's had a real conversation with. He might have been more inclined to go at this solo if he'd spoken with someone less willing to talk business with him.]
Zuko, Colin, and Sans. They're reliable? And what do you mean, 'crises closer to the safe zone'?
1/2
no subject
It's just what it sounds like; a crisis is a crisis. To keep us from actively fighting her, the Queen likes to stir up trouble closer to home. Sometimes it's been an attempt on our lives, like whisking us into a death trap; other times it's plaguing us with an inconvenience that would make it near impossible to fight, like seeing each other's memories or dealing with evil doppelgängers. Sometimes she doesn't even have to do that, because Ozuma will have screwed up something instead.
[She shakes her head, annoyed by more than one case of this. But she's already related to him of Ozuma's struggles with competency.]
Depending on the issue at hand, there's not always something we can do but weather it out, but when it comes to saving lives, we're on the ball. Colin is pompous and has an unbearable personality, but he's smart. Reliable. His preparations came in handy rescuing Ozuma once, and during the food shortage.
Sans is possibly more brilliant, although you wouldn't guess it from a single conversation. He won't do more than play mission control from safety, if he'll do much at all, but he's the one who built that generator in the Altar Room, and developed our communication system. Actually, we would have died in October if not for him— oh.
[She interrupts herself, looking thoughtful.]
no subject
[Sans piques his interest as well. Brilliant, but... what? Overly cautious? The same could be said of Leonardo's own brother, Donatello, but he thinks he's reading signals in her word choice that don't seem to line up with that comparison. Even Don regularly works in the field despite the dangers. He's about to press for more information on this name when Rin pauses, seemingly surprising herself somehow.]
[Leo raises an eye ridge and waits for a beat to see if she'll continue unprompted.]
no subject
Mm, I neglected someone before: my roommate, Kida Masaomi.
[Rin raises her head, eyes scanning the line of statues once more. Strange to think that event was four months ago now, isn't it? Some of these very people had been in the castle still; flesh and soggy bone in the cages alongside hers. The blue gaze settles on a smaller one in particular.
He'd been one of two people to save her life that day.]
Back in October, half of us woke up in cages hanging off the cliffside, on a steady descent to be submerged. I forgot because it wasn't a typical mission and I was among those trapped, but Kida-kun really came through for us.
[She looks back at Leo, waving a hand.] Despite being new here, from what I heard later on, he was the one to take charge organizing the rescue efforts on the outside.
[Which was no small task, she knows intimately. She can remember the dawning realization she had realizing the location of her cage's key. Even as she held steadfast to that glimmer of hope that things would turn out alright, she had to make peace with the fact too, that she might die hours before they found the key in that huge altar room.]
no subject
[A likely possibility hits him like a blow from something blunt: fallen warriors, maybe. Why are so many of them kids? The thought opens a gate of righteous anger that he immediately caps, knowing this isn't the place for it. Instead, Leo turns his thoughts back to Rin's explanation. Not only does Kida sound competent, she's got an actual crisis situation to back up his reliability. That's good. He nods, the name instantly floating near the top of his list of people to look out for.]
And Zuko?
no subject
[That's right, she didn't get to her after describing Sans and Colin. For a moment there Rin thought they were still discussing the incident with the cages. She waves a scolding hand at herself. No worries, she gets it now!]
Zuko is the most dependable person that I've worked with in this castle. Like I told you, if someone is putting a group together to go out, usually it's either her or me, but between the two of us, Zuko is the one who has been here longer. She has the most experience.
[Rin tosses a long ponytail over her shoulder, brushing her hair back.]
She's quick to act in a crisis, and works strategically. Her interpersonal skills are clumsy, but not in a bad way. In a professional environment, she knows exactly how to use and work with others, and genuinely looks out for their safety. She's a good leader.
no subject
[Rin, of course, had spurned the idea of them being called her people. Leonardo wonders if Zuko would have a similar reaction, and if if not, whether that might be the distinction that made Rin put her name first.]
[In any case, he appreciates the information - but he thinks that's about all he's going to dig for on the topic of the others. Far be it from Leonardo to take things at face value rather than form his own opinions. The smile twists at one corner, and his tone tilts towards one that might even be teasing.]
That's good to hear. You guys had me worried for a minute.
[Now that he's more clued into the situation, it's easier to see a more relaxed line in his shoulders; there's even a spark of understated enthusiasm in his eyes. Ninja boys will be ninja boys.]
So. Here's the big question: think we can pull this off?
no subject
Well, he's not wrong. He won't be hearing no from her anytime soon.]
Naturally. [Locking one arm behind her back, she cants her head to the side and scoffs.] I'm not staying here forever. I'll do it all myself if I have to. If I've convinced you to lend your aid, however, I won't say no to it.
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)