trueknight | 100 // [Voice / Action]

[Action]

[As per usual, Yuri's spending his morning today in the battle dome ... although, for those who've seen him in there a decent amount of times, they may notice something different. Like the fact that he seems to be using a mid-sized axe instead of a sword this time around. It even seems to be making some of his artes look and act a little differently as well.

He also has a sword leaning against the room he's using - namely the katana Luke got him for Christmas. Occasionally, during breaks in his training, he'll wander over to it and pick it up, as if thinking about something related to it, but he always ends up putting it back down again.

Feel free to interrupt his session at any point! The monsters he's fighting don't seem to be challenging him very much, to begin with.]

[Voice]

[After his training session--]

Got a bit of a question for everyone. Which do you think is better - swords, or axes?

[Filtered to Brave Vesperia: 85% Unhackable]

As for you all, I figured I should let you know that I'll be trying to do a little recruiting around the end of the month. I'm planning on doing the usual through-the-journal kind, but if anyone's got a better idea, let me know.

... Actually, if anyone's got any ideas for the guild at all, now's a good time to tell me. Especially if it'd help us stand out a little more as something other than some kind of construction group.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[The first half of what he said more or less was processed as "AXES ARE TOUGHER BUT THAT'S ABOUT IT". He's pretty sure he's understanding that right, anyway.

But whatever. He'll shrug, even if the journal's camera can't really pick it up much.]

... Guess I can't argue with that. [Or a weapons dealer, for that matter, even if he doesn't exactly like him too much.] Carrying them around has always been pretty annoying.

Ja--we have been making strides in using lighter alloys lately without decreasing compressive strength much, so they're not always very heavy, but the shape of them remains a problem. I've seen some nice holsters for axes, but they're still awkward to carry and nearly impossible to conceal.

Of course if you get on the subject of weapons that are concealable and pretty versatile, I do have a preference for firearms. They're not the most, how do I say...artistic weapons ever, but they're very effective in many contexts.

I don't care for firearms, whether they're versatile or not. Not in a serious fight. [Mostly because they feel almost cowardly, but he also has very little experience with them. ... And just because he's a very up-front kind of guy.] Concealable weapons in general are just cowardly to start with.

It can be most useful, though, to have the advantage of surprise. Especially when you're up against an enemy that is much stronger or more trained than you.

Of course I'm thinking from a practical standpoint, not in terms of honor. The likes of firearms don't make for very fair or interesting duels or sparring matches. They do however work wonderfully in the context of warfare, taking out enemies from various distances in short amounts of time. [Or, for that matter, anything else where the 'killing' part is more important than the 'honor' part. Goodness knows he's had a few assassins in his employ that've shot people to death before.]

In a case like that, I guess it makes sense, whether I like it or not. [And judging by his tone, he's not really a fan of it.] But I'm talking about for one-on-one deals.

In that case it depends on what you're wanting to get out of it. I admit I'm a fan of efficiency in any serious fight--having the best approach to whatever the enemy is trying--but if your emphasis is on honing or showing off skills, or if you're attempting to be honorable, you'd want a different weapon.

I do think swords fit your perspective on these things very well. What kind of sword are you using these days?

... I switch between different types, so there isn't any specific kind.

[Which is true, even if he's trying to sound a little evasive.]

Well, generally speaking, what do you use? Surely you must have a preference. [Don't worry, Yuri, he's not going to criticize your choice. He's just curious. Kind of hard to ascertain such a thing when, to his memory, he's only battled you once.]

[You and your questions, Yeager! ... But whatever - it's not like he loses anything by answering them. Still, he'll sigh a little at that.]

... Katanas, I guess. It's not really a preference, though. If I found something more light-weight, I'd switch to that.

Katanas are nice. I used to sell some made of very high-quality steel combinations that performed wonderfully. [Ah, but lightweight...] If you're concerned about weight, you might want to look into some small swords. The blades tend to be thinner, but if they're made of the right materials you wouldn't sacrifice too much in terms of strength or sharpness. I do believe there's some good ones in the weapons shop here.

[Because goodness knows he has enough free time to frequently check on what weapons come in.]

[That's ... actually a decent idea, but--]

The length is a problem, in that case. I'd probably be using them already if it weren't.

There are some that are pretty long, in spite of the name. A few years ago I started selling a line of basket-hilt small swords that were a full thirty-three inches in length, for instance. Those were pretty popular, so I would assume there would be at least one like that here in Luceti.

[He wasn't actually measuring the swords in the shop, of course, so he can't recall off the top of his head whether one's around at the moment.]

I see. I ... guess I'll keep an eye out for one.

[... Man, Yeager, stop making him unsure of what opinion he should have about you. This is exactly why he hates learning too much about people!]

[And that is exactly why Yeager loves having these kinds of conversations with people. XD]

Let me know if you find one. I'll tell you if I see one that would possibly work for you, too.

[It's just a shame that he can't actually sell it to Yuri. He misses being in this business.]

... I will, if I remember to.

100 // [Voice / Action]

[voice] Pfff, s'all good

[voice]

[voice]

[voice]

[voice]

[voice]

[voice]

[voice]

[voice]

[voice]

[voice]

[voice]

[voice]

[voice]

[voice]