Getting Stronger [Jude/Ryuzaki, C]

[Jude]

Hands intertwined and resting behind his head, Jude walked forward, through the edge of the forest and out into the open field that covered the area between the duo and the town in which they would certainly take refuge and lay low for a few days. Jude was tired, but he was also restless-- his recent kill still weighed on him, and he wasn't sure how to deal with it, or if he would deal with it... In truth, it wouldn't be a huge deal in a few days, but at present, he wasn't sure what to do.

The pink-haired boy sighed heavily, stopping in his tracks to look around. The day was coming to a close, and the sky was a deep orange, something peaceful. Much more so than the day had proved to be, Jude knew. Despite the actions the duo had taken, the day seemed to be gracious to them, giving them soft, friendly lightning and a warm welcome to a place that likely neither male called home. He took his hands away from the back of his head and shoved them into his pockets, feeling the gentle breeze carry the fibers of his scarf across his face, the strands of loose hair blowing around tickling his ears and forehead. He turned back to Ryuzaki, who had been at his side since they'd left the wedding. A sack of treasure on his shoulder, Jude felt accomplished. And after talking to Ryuzaki about more important matters, Jude had been dying to work some things out both out loud and in his head.

"Look," he said, turning back to the man, an unusually somber tone in his voice. "If we're going to... I don't know, hell, if we're really gonna do this, I need to be stronger." His eyes were cold and focused, counting the buildings he could see in the town in the distance. "I have to be stronger. I can't let what happened back there again. I am so sick of being weak and useless, and I want you to make me strong."

His eyes turned back to the man, fierce and determined. His red eyes flickered with the fires of determination. "I want you to teach me how to fight."

[Ryuzaki]

"You do indeed."

The words dropped simply from the assassin's mouth, and they continued to walk. There was silence for a few seconds, and then Ryu spoke again.

"But I cannot make you strong. Becoming skilled is a long journey, and most of the progress will come from within you. If your heart and mind's not in it, you'll be as terrible as you were before, even after a year of training. So if you truly want to learn to become powerful, heed my suggestions. Form your own style, but do not focus so much on style and flair. Your attacks are graceful, beautiful to watch... But ineffective. You need to first establish a basis of attacks, a pattern of defense... And then add the color and the style."

Dropping his sack at the side of the road, Ryu pulled out Gemini, the blade sparkling in the light of the impending sunset.

"For the purposes of this exercise, I'll refrain from dual-wielding. And I know you're good with knives, but we can leave knife combat for later. For now, take out that sword you stole, and we can improve upon your sword-fighting skills. Those are absolutely essential.

Actually..."

The assassin sheathed Gemini and withdrew the blade he'd stolen. For some reason, the blade seemed to glow purple, a faint sheen that felt wicked and deadly in his hands. The blade was of unfamiliar weight, and the man gave a few experimental swings to try and accustom himself to it.

"We'll be on more even footing now. I'm not accustomed to using this blade, so it will make it more fair."

Advancing, Ryu assumed a ready stance, feet shoulder width and blade held up diagonally.

"Copy my form. This is a good stance to fall into between exchanges, before a battle, or when getting ready to defend. It keeps you ready for both offense and defense. Assume the ready position!"

[Jude]

Listening to the man's quasi-philosophical tirade, Jude put a hand on his hip and raised an eyebrow as he spoke. Seriously, he still wanted him to use a sword? After everything he'd said against it? Ah well, if it must be so... Then he'd give it a shot. But did he have a reason to fight? Did he have this power from within that Ryu spoke of? Sure, he had Bee to fight for, he had Mel to fight for, but what was that? Two people, after all... That wasn't much motive. What bigger, better picture could he keep in mind to keep his body strong, keep his mind sharp and alert? Was there any?

The pink-haired boy sighed. "Pfft. At least I can look good with what I do." He smirked, a light, playful tone in his voice. "Look, old man, I'm gonna use your sword, but only this once. I hate them. They're big and bulky and heavy and just... ugly." He finished, half disgusted with the idea of using a weapon that was over half the length of his body in full. Sure, there were shorter, lighter swords, but what could beat a good dagger at your side? He chewed on his lip, shifting his weight over to his other hip.

"Fancy." Jude cooed, a smile on his lips as the assassin drew a different weapon, one different than what had been used on him before, in the storage room. "It even glows in the dark. That's special." He mocked the man, then copied his stance. Right... like this. Was this right?

His feet parted, one slightly ahead of the other, he unhinged the sword from his waist that Ryu had given him. He unsheathed it and tossed the scabbard aside. Heavy, crude, and long, the iron sword he held in his hands felt totally wrong... But it did feel at least more protective. He certainly had wider coverage, and that would sure come in handy. Trying his best to adjust a couple inches to match Ryu's style, Jude held the blade diagonally in front of him.

The red-eyed boy smirked at his new "teacher".

"Alright, come on, damn it! Let's do this!" His voice was excited and eager.

[Ryuzaki]

"Big they may be, but I guarantee you'd never beat me... or anyone worth their blade, really... if all you can use is a dagger. You can prefer your dagger, you can use it ninety-nine percent of the time - I just demand that in the one percent of the time that you need it, you can use it. That's all. You just have to be adequate."

Smirking at the pink-haired young one's snide comments, Ryu swung the blade around again, watching the indigo glow hum through the fading light. He had no idea what the sword could do, or even what it was called... But he knew it would be worth the effort if he could unlock its secrets.

"All right, if you're ready... Stay alert, Jude. Pass one!"

The assassin employed a quick thrust to the midsection, which Ryu pulled short, stopping just before he got within striking range. No, this wouldn't do.

"I take it back. If I start attacking, you'll form bad habits by swinging wildly. Attack me with all you've got, Jude. Hold nothing back save a killing blow, and I'll do all I can to block. Try to disarm or draw blood. Pay attention to how I block, and then we can switch roles so you can practice defense and learn offense. You'll have to start... I trust you at least know how to thrust and slice. After all, you can't be that dull, especially if you got to the vault. So come on, pirate... Show me your mettle!"

Ryu cackled. The kid wouldn't even touch him.

[Jude]

"Oh please!" Jude scoffed, leaning into his stance, craning his neck to one side. "Your hokey sword religion is no match for a short dagger at my side. Who needs something that slows you down so much when you can be-- ACK!" He jumped back, almost losing his balance, as Ryu dashed forward, speeding into a thrust that Jude was sure would certainly kill him.

And then the man stopped. Jude's face was pale white, sweat dripping down his face as he looked at the tip of the dully glowing blade a few inches from his torso. His guard was still up, but Ryu had moved right under it-- Jude's reaction time had been too slow. He hadn't even seen it coming. This man's speed was absurd... Jude knew that he himself was fast, but that fast? While he'd never admit it, that was impressive. He'd never fought someone who he guessed could so easily kill him. Yet, he stayed his blade. Then the anger kicked it.

"H-HEY! WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT ABOUT?! YOU COULD HAVE KILLED ME!!" Jude shouted, finally jumping back beyond the blade's reach, breathing heavily. "Geez, man. You could cut me at least a LITTLE slack..." The pink-haired boy looked away, embarrassed, and scratched the back of his neck. But his time was coming. Ryu was giving him the first strike? He could do with that. Maybe. He hoped. Smirking devilishly, Jude looked back down, tightening his grip around the blade's hilt. The iron fibers shook gently in his hands as he considered how he might strike. When he used his dagger, power and speed were his best options... But he didn't have range. Now that he had some range, what was he to do?

Jude guessed his first step was to explore. He wouldn't know how to properly use it unless he explored his options, then decide which of them was the most effective. He could handle that.

"All I've got, huh?" His smirk grew wider. Okay, he could definitely do that. Time to vent some anger.

Dashing forward, Jude took a zig-zag path, quickening his pace from the beginning until he was in a dead sprint, trying to conceal the path he would take instead of dashing straight forward. Once his speed had picked up into a dead sprint, he lifted himself off of his feet, lurching forward, bringing the sword back around his shoulder, swinging brashly and brazenly across diagonally, like swinging a bat, aimed directly at the length of Ryu's torso. Jude was so sure that he would land this blow that he shouted angrily during the whole performance.

[Ryuzaki]

As the pink-haired young swordsman fussed and fumed, Ryu stood and quietly waited. Then as his young protege began smiling and preparing, Ryu let himself fade away, sinking his mind into the focus of battle. His opponent - for that was what Jude had become, simply someone to defend against, an opponent to be defeated, a pawn to be taken - was rushing towards him, sprinting back and forth. What was that about? Even with a sword, he couldn’t strike from farther than its length… So regardless of his path, eventually he would end up in front of him to attack.

So it came as no surprise when Jude launched himself into his final attack - the only thing surprising was the sheer simplicity of the attack. He swung as if he were trying to chop wood, or hit a ball in a game of sport, not trying to attack a responsive and ready opponent.

As the sword swung forward from Jude’s right side, Ryu stepped back, slamming his sword down on top of the blade and deflecting it towards the dirt. Without any other swordplay, he stepped backwards and again assumed his ready stance.

”Admirable power, Jude. Your strategy leaves much to be desired, but I will compliment the strength of the stroke. To try and parry such a hit outright would ask for trouble. You just need to think ahead. It’s not much different than fighting with your dagger. You just have to realize that you have range to fight now. Use the same tactics you used on me in the vault. Speed, surprise, spunk. All are good ideas. You tried to disguise your direction of attack - good - but I’m the only opponent. I knew you’d attack me. Instead of disguising who you’re targeting, disguise how you are targeting them. For example:”

Ryu lunged, the same motion as before. Then without a word, he moved back to the ready stance, and with the same initial motion, swung forth a strike that swept to his forehand side, following through and then moving back to stand ready.

”See? Disguise your intent. Make me worry, and think. Keep me on the defensive.”

[Jude]

"ACK!"

In what he thought was a decent strike, Jude found himself completely at a loss. The momentum of his swing was so strong, that when Ryu brought his own blade down atop it, it met the dirt, and the inertia Jude had created almost sent him flying overtop of his blade. He was only just able to manage flinging himself across the weapon as he slowed down at the last second, and he still leaned in over a bit, unable to completely stop himself from moving. Had he been too wild in the attack? Should he have not been as fast?

And then Ryu spoke, and what Jude expected to be a lecture turned out to be solid advice. He was impressed, and a little humbled, but he wouldn't admit it. Instead, he stood watching the assassin with a hand on his hip and a raised eyebrow. Was he right? Disguising the intent... Only one opponent... Hm. Jude hadn't really considered these things before... Normally, he would just hit as hard and as fast as he could. But then again, his opponents had only ever been other pirates... And occasionally, civilians. His first guard fight had been just hours earlier. How strange it felt to be taught the art of combat in a serious way, not like when he was rough and rowdy in his younger days. Back then, it didn't really matter how skilled at the art you were, as long as you could hit harder than your opponent.

Deciding that these things were all worth considering, despite his disgruntled attitude, Jude nodded. "So... Think ahead... So..." He pressed a finger to his lip, letting the tip of the sword he held dip into the earth carelessly. "Anticipate what you're going to do... And then act in response to that? Right? That it? Hm." He questioned a bit longer, puffing air into his cheek, as he watched Ryu demonstrate what appeared to be a simple strike and maneuver. Maybe there was some merit to that.

He could work with that. "Make you worry..." He breathed, almost under his breath. "Okay."

The pink-haired boy, for once in his life, put aside his facade to focus on the situation. It was clear that Ryu was fast and adept, a skilled fighter with more experience.. But could it be exploited? Was there anything he could do? It was clear that raw power wouldn't be enough on its own... It was too plain, too obvious. But what about power in addition to something else, would that do it?

He played Ryu's demonstration out in his head over and over again, readying himself in the same stance Ryu had shown him before. He cleared his mind and focused his red eyes.

Yeah, maybe that would work. Maybe this would be better.

Jude charged forward, a straight line dotting his path, taking no movements outside of it. This time he kept quiet, leaning into his blade, and brought it up, pointing it forward. He put as much strength as he could muster into what would become a lunge, but then suddenly, he pulled a throwing knife from his belt, and in a fluid, quick motion he tossed it off, then darted outside of its line of sight, changing his step to bring himself into contact with his target from a different angle. He slid down, bearing down into the earth, bringing his sword down to his side, aiming to sweep Ryu's legs.

[Ryuzaki]

For once, his protege showed signs of real thinking, mumbling to himself and stopping for a moment to analyze his possibilities and the best way to go about an attack. Ryu was thrilled. He stared at Jude, watching him puzzle and ponder, but never let his guard down. Then Jude slowly straightened into the ready stance, his red eyes staring at Ryu and his sword point still.

Then he charged. Ryu instantly could see that this was a different kind of attack, a different caliber, a different strategy. He was proud and pleased, and he watched the sword point come back and then, as it began to push forward, he was already moving, already anticipating and shifting to avoid the strike. But the lunge was aborted as the 'pirate' swiveled, sending a knife whirling towards the assassin, who reacted instantly by ducking down, dropping like a stone into a crouch that suddenly was disrupted by the flat of his young study's blade, which knocked him backwards.

Ah, beautifully done!

As he felt himself fall, Ryu dove to the side, scrambling up out of a roll and countering without even thinking. Gone was the pedagogy, and the assassin barely had time to think before he leaped forward, lunging and flattening his body sideways behind the powerful thrust that sent the purple-coated blade towards his new ally.

And then something strange happened. The blade seemed to flash a brighter violet, and a haze seemed to spurt from it, spiraling in uncontrollable wisps towards Jude like strands of a spiderweb. The Nether magic coalesced and dropped like wet tissue paper towards him, seeming to slither as it descended down in a thin film of noxious energy.

[Jude]

Jude smirked, at first feeling pleased with himself over what he guessed was his incalculable success in his near-perfect attack. It wasn't, of course, without flaws-- but having put the assassin at least a little off guard, a little on edge, Jude could chalk it up to a perfect success. In the small handful of seconds he had to relish in his pride, Jude's fierce, wild eyes trained themselves on Ryu as he ducked down and back into a roll to avoid to blunt of Jude's strike. Coming out of his slide into the dirt himself, Jude barely had time to roll out of the way before Ryu countered.

He hadn't expected that-- but that was probably best, right? Jude wouldn't be able to learn unless he could think on the fly... So this counter, it was a good thing. It was exactly what Jude needed to learn how to deal with a real opponent. After all, on the battlefield, Jude wouldn't be facing an opponent who was teaching him. He would be facing someone with intent to kill, or at least to maim or sever a limb or whatever. Shocked, the pleased, Jude brought his blade up and around in an attempt to swat Ryu's away from its current path, towards his body.

Wait. What?

In what felt like a fraction of a second, Jude's eyes flashed with deep, dark hues of purple, the red orbs becoming deep wells that took in all the light around them, instead of typically reflecting fire as they normally did. What was this? In another flash, Jude rolled over on his side, dropped his sword, and gripped his stomach. "W-What... What the HELL?!" He coughed, pulling himself up on his knees, his fists digging into the dirt as his breathing grew erratic, his vision blurry. Was this it? The sword hadn't even hit him... had it?

Violent consumed him. His vision grew blurry, the ground that was brown started to look black, almost, and then before he knew it, Jude hurled on the ground, then fell down and rolled beside the mess, still gripping his stomach, trying not to lash out in pain. He kept his voice from breaking through his closed lips, as if to prove to himself simply that he could do it. His ears began to ring and his vision grew blurrier as he forced his eyes open. No way... What the hell.. was this?

With as much effort as he could muster, Jude's eyes found Ryu's, and while he was certainly suffer, there was no plea for help. There was only anger and confusion present in his vivid, red eyes. He began to sweat, and had to close his eyes again, clenching them shut in an effort to dull the pain. It wasn't working.

[Ryuzaki]

The assassin looked on, something rare upon his face. Rather than joy, or triumph, or the glow of interest that sparkled in his eyes usually, there was naught but pure terror. Ryu's eyes were wide, flickering over his apprentice's convulsing body as he stared on. What the hell was this? Some sort of bow that fired on its own? His father's magic wasn't like this. Nothing he'd seen was like this. This was vicious, brutal, menacing. It begged him to revel in Jude's pain, begged him to enjoy it and grow from it and become stronger, more in tune with that awesome might it contained.

So the assassin raised the sword and then hurled it to the earth as powerfully as he could, sending the blade halfway to the hilt in the earth as he leaped down beside Jude. He hadn't touched him. The sword had fired on its own. What to do? How to combat this? His father had never stopped his magic, but afterwards his mother had given him medicine to ease the pain of the training.

Ignoring the bile and everything around him, Ryu whipped out a vial of Elixer. His reserve. His secret stash. Opening it, he began forcibly pouring it down into Jude, imploring him:

"Drink! Drink it, please!"

Getting frustrated, the assassin smashed the bottle between his hands and slathered it over Jude's face, smearing the medicine and the blood from the gashes the glass had sliced open all over his friend's face. Standing up, he stared at Jude, screaming now, his eyes flickering uncontrollably.

"DAMN YOU! DON'T DIE, DAMN IT! GET UP! GET UP! STAB ME! ATTACK ME! DO SOMETHING, BUT FOR MILA'S SAKE GET UP! PLEASE!"

Hysterical, Ryu pulled Shinryu from the earth and swung the blade, looking at it as if it were a bandit he was throttling.

"Do you want pain? Blood? HERE! Have mine! Just stop! Stop it! You can have as much pain from my foes, but don't KILL MY FRIEND!"

Ryu rubbed his hands over the flat of the blade, coating the cold metal in a thin sheen of red. Remarkably, the sword responded, glowing a soft lavender that grew oxymoronically brighter and darker all at the same time. The glow, now violet, shone bright as a torch, then brighter yet as it became pitch black, illuminating the area in a hellish, unnatural light before fading and leaving Jude still laying on the ground and Ryu kneeling, sword in front of him, weeping silently and staring at the 'pirate' he now presumed was dead.

[Jude]

At some point, he must have simply passed out. Be it from the pain or the sickness, he wasn't sure, but at some point, Jude's vision had gone back. His head, that he could still feel pounding even in his pseudo-unconscious state, dripped sweat as if he were working in the hot summer sun. His body's internal temperature had raised, as if he were sick, and before long, he was. He had already thrown up, and now he was weak and frail. What had happened?

Jude felt himself looking down on his situation, as if he were above his own body and Ryu's, watching down below. It was likely a dream, if anything, but it felt strangely real. All of his senses had failed him, leaving him only with the ability to process internally what was going on. He couldn't see, smell, or hear anything... Save for the buzzing and the dull ring in his ears. Confused, Jude's eyelids vibrated a little, reflecting that he might actually be dreaming, and his head twitched to the side.

"Mmmhh...Mhhrr..."

He grunted, hardly moving his physical body, save for the twitching of a few fingers and a sleeplike murmur. He wasn't sure what was going on-- had he died? Was this the afterlife? Surely not, Jude thought to himself... Last he remembered, the blade hadn't even touched him. Was this something else? Had he gotten sick and hadn't realized it? Jude knew that most people were pretty susceptible to seasonal sicknesses, but he was of hardy stock, even he knew that much. Suddenly, though, things got a little clearer.

Hearing the voice shook Jude back into existence. His red-again eyes opened slowly, his long lashes pulling apart with great effort. His breathing was labored, but steady. He looked over at the hysterical-looking Ryu, and almost blushed from his embarrassment. What was this about? What was he going on about? And what the hell kind of weapon was he using?

"Urrggh..." He mumbled, raising a weak hand to his forehead, feeling the temperature. Warm. Hot, even. His nausea though, had gone almost completely. Now his limbs simply felt a little weak, and he felt tired. What was that?

"Don't be so..." Jude's eyes weakly found Ryu, and unimpressed and unspectacular, if confused, gaze meeting the assassin's own. "...Dramatic." He coughed, trying to roll himself over. He found it incredibly difficult, but he did manage. His eyes eventually saw the man's sword, leaving Ryu's unstable state just long enough to recognize that this sword was of a different caliber than he'd been around.

As if completely distracted by everything going on around him, as if in some last pitched effort Jude tried to forget what had just happened, he leaned up slowly and rested a hand against his exposed midriff. "Who's... Mila?" His sleepy eyes shut and opened slowly, looking at the assassin. His gaze wasn't bored, but his eyes were tired enough for it to look so. "And what... The hell is that thing?" He weakly gestured toward's Ryu's blade.

[Ryuzaki]

At some point, the young thief rolled to the side, his eyes slowly creaking open and his voice wobbling as he made a typical snide comment. It didn't even bother the thief - his friend was alive! Alive! His protege was still with him, still ready to learn and grow.

"It's not dramatic. I've had friends die before, and it hurts every time. It'd be even worse if I accidentally killed my apprentice while we were training. I'd never live that one down. Good grief."

Ryu then turned a slight crimson as Jude asked who Mila was. Feigning shock, Ryu responded, his voice that of a practiced liar and his eyes painting the part of genuine amusement and slight surprise.

"You don't know who Mila is? Wow. She's a goddess from ancient history, worshipped by pagan swordsmen and given sacrifices of blood and organs in order to appease her and ensure their safety in battle."

Chuckling, Ryu shook his head and winked at Jude, the relief in the young swordsman's safety evident as he finished up his tale.

"...She's also a cute girl I work with sometimes. We've got... a lot of good vibes together."

When Jude asked about the sword, Ryu nodded, picking up the fel blade and twirling it once more before placing it back on his back and giving a hand to the 'pirate.'

"I... have no idea. I know it's magical, so I guess I'll just keep working with it until it kills me or I have complete control over it. I'll break it like a horse. But yeah, sorry about that... What did it even do to you?"

[Jude]

Jude smirked and snarled, almost seriously, but with enough tint of smile on his face to be lighthearted... At least as lighthearted as the boy was capable of being in his currently weakened state. "Tch," He said, sitting upright and keeping his hand rested across his stomach. He rubbed gently, feeling sick to his stomach, but otherwise coming back into himself. He could see again, he could hear, and his sense of touch and his ability to hear had both come back well into his being. It was as if the effect was only temporary, only lasting a moment... Perhaps because the blade hadn't touched him. "Please. It'll take more than that to kill me, come on. Who the--" he spit off to the side, a touch of blood in his otherwise clear saliva. "--hell do you think I am?" The pink-haired boy wiped his mouth and lazily ran a hand through his hair.

Ryu seemed serious, though, and this was not lost on Jude. What exactly had this man been through to warrant such a reaction? Had he really seen all the horrors he claimed to, was he truly not being dramatic? Jude couldn't be sure, of course, but he had his doubts-- but also his tendencies to trust this man. After all, he hadn't killed him yet. Did he still have something to give by way of trust? Jude studied the man through narrowed red eyes as he spoke. "Hmph," he said, turning his head and shutting his eyes. "Not much of a religious guy myself, I guess---HEY!" Then Jude realized that it was a joke. What an ass. "Don't you play games with me, asshole!"

A girl, huh? How disgustingly sweet. Jude was hard-pressed to think of someone like that in his life, and yet there wasn't one. At least not by his own estimation. Plainly, Jude turned back to the assassin, a blank expression in his red eyes and slender face. "Sounds like you f*ck for fun. That ain't my business. Careful, though. That can end badly preeeeeetty quick, lemme tell ya. Ugh, crap..." Jude forced himself to stand, realizing that despite his previous weakness, this was becoming easier. That was good.

"You better whip it's ass, though," Jude said, arranging the glove on his right hand with his ungloved left one. He wiped the dirt off of his sleeve and adjusted his waist cloak back to where it was set straight. "If it does to you what it just did to me, you might not be so resilient!" The pink-haired boy teased, leaning into Ryu. "It, uh... Well... Let's see... My vision died, and then... I heard ringing in my ears. I couldn't hear much else. I smelled everything around me all at once, and I fell and all I could think to do was vomit. It was like I was feeling every sickness under the sun, all at once. It was shitty, and I don't want it to happen again. Looks like you've got the anti-doctor sword. Seems dangerous."

[Ryuzaki]

OOC: Sorry, so sorry... But I'm back now.

"Pirate or no, there's no telling what this is capable of... I don't know for sure, but I would hazard to bet that it could kill you. I'd be cautious against unfamiliar things. You've got too much spunk for your own good, Jude. Sometimes you have to let it simmer instead of boiling over. Your technique was nice, especially the combination of the forcing knife and the sweeping blade. It was a beautiful start to a powerful sequence. But your haste opened you up to attack! Be cautious. Stay alert."

Jude seemed a bit taken aback by his jab about Mila, and Ryu laughed at the boy's retort, pushing the still-sitting Jude backwards gently. But when the young 'pirate' gave his own response, the assassin glowered, moving his hand threateningly towards the dully-glowing blade once more.

"Now look... That's definitely not how it is. We're simply teammates who worked together for a while, brought into contact by a strange mutual acquaintance, a whole host of improbably terrible circumstances, and the power of the "mighty stars of fate" or whatever feces the fortune-tellers spout."

Ryu swiped his hair to the side, smirking. His memories of Mila were personal... But there was no reason he couldn't lambast the greedy psychics and fortune-tellers that plagued Elibe. Their nonsense prophecies did nothing productive, and the amount of coin wasted on them could be used in so many more productive ways...

...hmm. The anti-healer sword. A sword that sickened and debilitated. A sword that brought forth the power of illness.... That was indeed an interesting tool.

"Help me develop its abilities."

[Jude]

OOC: No worries man! School hits us all, including me. I've been busy, too, haha

Playing with the top of his ear, Jude pretended not to listen to Ryu as he spoke, chastising Jude for his recklessness yet again, despite the clear praise he was being given for improving. His immaturity kept him from replying in any way to thank the assassin, but as he looked off and away, in any direction except for Ryu's, he did start to feel better about his own technique. After all, who else could teach him to fight this well? He was pretty sure anyone was was unqualified; Mel couldn't do sh*t, the Mountain Man wouldn't bother teaching him anything except how to throw stuff... This would come in handy. His red eyes darting occasionally to meet Ryu's own, Jude nodded slowly, sighing out, finally accepting the man's words.

"I, uh... Well, I never really learned how to fight. I just kind of did one day, I guess, when I didn't really have any other option. So this... helps." The words stung his throat. This sort of vulnerability, low-level though it may have been, was unusual and hard for him to accept.

Jude caught himself on his palms, grinning evilly, as Ryu jokingly pushed him backwards at his reply. "Sure," he cooed. "It's never like that. Look, Ryu, it's not my business anyhow." He scratched the back of his pink-topped head. "But there ain't no such thing as fate. You make your own luck, just like we did today. Sounds t'me like you've gone and made your own luck with this girl. Anyway..." His red eyes dropped back to the weapon as Ryu hovered around it.

Laughing heartily, Jude shifted his weight, standing, from one foot to the other. "Right, I'll help you-- it didn't hurt at all to suffer that damn thing once, might as well do it again, right?" He smiled, kicking at the grass. The sun was almost down and he was tired. More than anything, Jude wanted sleep. And food. Lots of food. "But um... I don't really know where to begin. If you don't know what it does, and I'm the first person you've used it against, it means I'm the only one currently living--" he raised his finger in mock seriousness, as if teaching a lesson, "--who knows what it can do. That might be useful. But then again, I don't... really know how you're supposed to use that thing. It's damn evil, that's for sure."