@Everyone | Video | UN: ReforgedWings

[skyward_eyes]

[The video comes on to a smiling face who, though it's not immediately obvious, is somewhere that it should not be. Which, in this case, is Seifer's bedroom. Not that anyone other than Seifer should be aware of that fact. What happened to respect of personal space? Not even kidding. But there he is, stretched out on a bed, grinning up at his watch.]

Okay, so, about time got around to this, right? Nida here, as you may well know. If you don't, well, I'm very sorry we haven't had the pleasure yet. So, why is it important that you recognize my face?

After Danny disappeared, I decided we couldn't exactly abandon the dojo. Nothing like a nice hike down from a mountain and listening to and reading all your conversations to realize just how woefully under-prepared people are for roughing it.

[A bit of laughter and a shake of his head, because he really doesn't get it. Sure, he understands on an instinctual level, but he doesn't really get it anyway.]

Basically, the dojo is still open, under new management. I think I've basically managed to round back up the old Instructors and we agree that this is something needed. I'm still looking for a replacement hand-to-hand expert to help with that, and I don't know that I have anyone to teach meditation, but we're sorta going to expand the types of classes we're teaching.

Survival 101. We're doing this. Starting this weekend there is totally going to be classes on wilderness survival. Meet up at the edge of the woods to the east at about, say, 1 pm on Saturday. We're going in and I'm starting with lessons about how to find water, how to start a fire, and how to set up an improvised shelter. Bonus points, we get to sleep in them Saturday night. Anyone with survival skills welcome to join to help show examples of survival skills.

Next week we're doing basic orienteering and how to safely climb up and down a tree so you can get yourself a good view above the tree line. Classes will be repeated every few weeks to keep our skills sharp, just in case these crazies in charge of us decide to be assholes again.

Oh, and for class this week, dress warm but do not bring blankets. I'll be bringing spares, as well as knives and some other basic tools for us to make things with. You never know when we'll get poofed off and what you'll have so this is pretty much Survival 101, but with the SeeD training style.

You know, minus the T-Rexaurs. So you're less likely to get eaten. Which is always a bonus.

[There's definitely a touch of amusement in his eyes, like he's practically inviting people to be worried about his life and how a risk of getting eaten only makes him smile]

See you all around, sooner or later.

[Is that... why is there such mischief in his eyes? Probably bad. But there he's logging off of the video, which might be worrying.]


Private to Tommy
[The scene has changed. Now Nida is on a roof, grinning like mad, his hair blowing a bit in the breeze.]

Okay. I'll tell you what? White was nice and all, and I'm impressed by all the violet stuff that is happening but orange?

Fucking Hyne orange is probably the best. I can go through walls. I got up here by jumping onto the fridge, passing through into the crawl-space above the house, and them through that onto the roof. Like, I can't even begin to tell you how cool this is. We've got to test this. Know anywhere it might be fun to sneak into? Anyone's diary you want to read? Oh, I can go 'borrow' some vodka from Sam's room. Want some? I'm going to go do that.


Private to Kamala
[Where is Nida now? Well, is it possible that he's on top of a bookshelf in the schoolhouse. How has he even managed that? Who knows.]

So, serious question, how much have you gotten out of the house lately? Yeah, I know things are tense now, but come on, you need to have some fun. Wanna help me do an impression of a playful ghost? Because I feel like you would be the perfect lookout for this thing I'm planning.


Private to Iron Bull
[One must ask how Nida's in a video, sitting on your bed, Bull. But there he is anyway, frowning up at the screen. He looks... somewhere between that certain kind of hungry Bull knows, and a bit confused.]

Hey, got a few minutes to talk, Boss? I... we need to talk.

Comments

[skyward_eyes]

You're not the ugly duckling, Jason. We're family now, as long as we're here.

And if you won't see that, I'll force you to. I'll make you get it. I'm good at that.

[scathefires]

[jason’s never held the idea that he’s much to look at, especially not while overshadowed by the legacy of golden boy dick grayson. it’s just a fact he accepted a long time ago, in his hugely deficient perception of himself.

but that’s ok - he doesn’t need to be good-looking, right? no one in their right mind should want him as anything more than an uncompromising weapon against trash that needs to be taken out. he’s lived this long without the love and acceptance and basic human connections that most people take for granted - why start now? nida’ll probably change his mind eventually.]

OK, buddy. Challenge accepted. Make me get it.

[jason keeps his tone light, like this is a joke. the idea that anyone would want to name him family is the real joke.]

[skyward_eyes]

[Wow, good thing Nida doesn't know that Jason had that faulty opinion of himself, or he might get Nida commenting on his looks. Because that was apparently just what Nida was doing today. Commenting on people's looks while making mischief.

But his tone isn't joking. It's very serious.]

Well, Jason, you're going to learn first hand that I earned my rank in SeeD. Because I never fail a mission. And you, bro, are a priority one right now.

We're going camping sometime soon. Family bonding. Maybe next month. When, you know, maybe my powers balance out again. Not sure we want me handling fire right now. Not without lots of little students to distract me.

[scathefires]

Thought we already did the camping thing on the way back from the trauma shrine?

[skyward_eyes]

Nah, real camping. Like, tents and campfires and fun stories. Maybe if I can find supplies, smores. You ever have smores? Does Earth even have smores?

[Because if they don't, Nida's opinions about Earth are going to go even further down.]

[scathefires]

Yeah, we’ve got smores. Can’t say I’ve ever been on that brand of camping, though. Closest thing was probably the nights I slept on the streets. Wet cardboard boxes do not make good tents or beds, I can say that much.

[skyward_eyes]

Then I'm going to teach you, because it's a basic part of the SeeD family training. There's some good things about it too. But we'll wait for the weather to warm up, and I'll see if I can get blonde and scowling to join us.

[scathefires]

Two questions. One, what is this SeeD thing you keep mentioning? And two, who’s “blond and scowling”?

[skyward_eyes]

Remember that whole 'trained spy and assassin' thing? I was raised in and by an institution called Balamb Garden. And the elite mercenaries who pass graduation exams and are the ones who sell themselves as guns, literally and metaphorically, for hire? Those are SeeDs.

You'd have made it through to the exam no problem, I don't doubt. Graduation, on the other hand... well, who knows.

Blond and scowling is Seifer Almasy. You two would get along like a house on fire.

[scathefires]

[interesting. he’ll have to ask nida about that training in more detail another time.]

“House on fire” doesn’t exactly sound like a ringing endorsement. This Seifer guy’s one of your brothers too?

[skyward_eyes]

Actually, for Seifer, that's a pretty ringing endorsement.

But he's the only other one. Family is... rare for us.

[scathefires]

[... oh. right. nida’s family was murdered, executed in front of him when he was only a child. maybe jason could stand to be a little more accepting of the fact that nida wants to adopt him as his brother. after all, jason knows the ache of missing something so fundamentally important as family.]

He’s an orphan too?

[skyward_eyes]

[Yeah, this is a complicated topic, and it actually starts to show in Nida's voice. The pain of the memory.]

Yeah. Earlier in life than me actually. The Garden system was created by the older couple that ran the orphanage Seifer was at, pretty much since shortly after he was born or something. He was raised with some kids before he got sent to the Garden when he was, I think, 6? I didn't get there until not long after I'd turned eight and he would have turned nine. By then he'd already lost the other kids he'd grown up with more or less. Lots of issues there. I won't go into them.

In the end I had no one and he had Fuu and Rai and...

I take this serious, Jason. Really serious.

[scathefires]

OK, Nida. You win. I get it.

[and after that explanation, he feels like maybe he should share a little more of his own story. brothers are supposed to trust each other with this kinda stuff, right?]

I was twelve, almost thirteen when my mom died. She was an addict. Overdosed, like addicts tend to do. Dad was a low-rung criminal, henchman for hire. Went to prison for life, which didn’t really surprise anyone, but things were usually better when he wasn’t around. Fewer screaming matches and beatings. With him out of the picture, I tried to keep dealers away - keep her safe, but it turns out I couldn’t keep her safe from herself.

[he was only a child, and he knows, logically, that it was too much responsibility to reasonably place on his tiny shoulders. but that doesn’t stop jason from feeling like he failed.]

I lived on the streets for a few months after that. I didn’t have any other relatives, and I didn’t wanna get chewed up in the system, so I figured I’d do better on my own. I’d been taking care of myself for as long as i could remember anyway, so it wasn’t a big deal.

[that’s a lie; it was a big deal, or at least it should’ve been.]

I heard later my dad got offed in prison, but I didn’t look into it too much. He wasn’t ever really there for me, and I didn’t want anything to do with him after he got locked up.

[skyward_eyes]

[Well, you're going to get a few minutes of quiet. While Nida thinks.]

Wanna come to the dojo and punch some things?

[Listen, he doesn't know how to address that sort of emotion. But he knows that aggression helps him get it out.]

[scathefires]

[perhaps unsurprisingly, punching is how jason deals with feelings, too. he tries to keep a margin of separation between himself and the old wounds of his heart associated with his parents and childhood, and it’s easier to let the fresher hurt of bruce’s abandonment take center focus, but that attempted distance isn’t always successful. it’s difficult to gauge what’s going to hurt the most and when, and he just shared a lot of himself with nida.]

Yeah ... yeah, I think I do. I’ll be over in a few.

[skyward_eyes]

[Seems like him and his brothers are just that sort of me.]

Cool. We'll have to be careful. Still not green, can't keep us from being too injured. And Billy will have both of our heads if you get me hurt.

[scathefires]

I’ll go easy on ya. Promise.

[skyward_eyes]

Thanks. Because while I could take your ass with a staff, hand to hand isn't my greatest point. So please, have pity on your bro.

And I'll try not to backflip over you head or something.

[scathefires]

I’d almost like to see you try to backflip over my head. You remember how tall I am, right?

[somewhere in the neighborhood of six feet tall. he’s practically a giant.]

You should definitely strengthen up your hand to hand. Weapons can always be taken from you. Fists? Not so much, unless you’re dealing with especially psychopathic opponents.

[skyward_eyes]

Usually use my staff to help with that. But yeah, it would be hard. Which is why it's a wonderful challenge.

And there's a reason I chose such an easily improvised weapon.

[scathefires]

Easily improvised weapon’s still a weapon that can be taken from you, especially if it’s something you gotta use in close quarters. There’s a reason why I stuck with pointy things you throw and guns, for the most part.

[skyward_eyes]

Learning hand to hand combat skills was mandatory at Garden. And magic for ranged attacks. I’m just not stellar with either. I try. But merc academies cover that stuff.

[scathefires]

Well, I’ll see what I can do about making you better. I got trained by a lot of really skilled people.

[skyward_eyes]

Well I'll appreciate it. Who knows, maybe you can help Seifer too. He's a bit closer to your bulky build.