Goddess of Mercy

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Reliable, she had been called plenty of times. Give her a task and she would see it through to the end, unless she had a better reason for not doing so. Responsibility, Kwannon could handle, especially when it came to taking charge of a team. She was better at seeing all of the details more than most. But this... She didn't like her choice of words. "Saving a life is never a waste of time," Kwannon replied grimly, her hand gripped tight to Alison's shoulder. Even with the number of times all of that had pretty much "died," there was no reason to throw it away like it was another Tuesday. "I will accept your trust in me. As long as you promise to try and come back. No giving up because 'it gets too hard.' Or so help me, I will come after you, and you won't like that very much."

   “Fuck, sorry. Kinda … kinda just followed my instinct there,” he says, giving a sheepish grimace. “Not used to blocking. Most folk who’ve tried to hit me would knock me down regardless o’ me blockin’ or not.” He gestures to himself. “Lack o’ paddin’. Y’ know?”

Kwannon was honestly surprised at his reaction, believing that he was more used to throwing his mind around than engaging in anything physical. To see his reflexes at work... He was better than he realized. "Don't apologize. And that's nothing to be embarrassed about. Being on the defensive also entails avoiding being hit, so it's not like you got the lesson wrong." She smacked the pads together in thought. His speed, she could definitely work with, especially if he was fast enough to avoid a hit. Blocking used up a lot more energy than people realized. "How about we try that again? I want to see how fast you really are. If that's okay with you, of course." She held up the pads again, and waited for his approval. If he agreed, she would take another swing, though with a bit more power behind it this time.

"That sounds a lot more dramatic than it should be. You'd see one coming from a mile away. Looking like a normal person, however..." All her life, it had been easy for Kwannon to slip into places she needed to be but wasn't allowed to go, delivering her own brand of death to those who "deserved" it. "Scythes, in my experience, are also pretty unwieldy. Especially in an alleyway. Not my first weapon of choice."

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀“ but next time I’ll practice the good samaritan laws by the letter and ask permission before I save your ass. ” his thumb pressed once against her side, not gentle, just checking the wound without making a show of it. the night swallowed them both, and blade never lost a trail—even when the trail was mouthy and bleeding all over his new trench coat.

"In my experience, it's better to 'talk shit' and pass the time remaining conscious that letting blood loss take me, no? You'll have to worry less about whether I'm a corpse or not, so despite how annoying this may be for you, I'm doing you a favour," Kwannon managed through the pain. She was fueling her energy to staying angry so that she could remain awake. Because the thought of being unconscious... "A bullet in the head or the chance of landing on dirty needles, a rusty garbage can lid, and rat feces. I'll take what's behind door number five, Bob..." Uh oh. She was partly aware of the strange words that slipped out, her brow furrowing with both confusion and worry. That was not a memory of hers, which meant that things were not as alright as she thought they were. "I think... I'm going to throw up..."

“–and‎ ‎ am,‎ ‎ but‎ ‎ anyhow,‎”‎ ‎ dazzler‎ ‎ sighs,‎ ‎ before‎ ‎ glancing‎ ‎ the‎ ‎ other’s‎ ‎ way.‎ ‎ “i’m‎ ‎ the‎ ‎ last‎ ‎ person‎ ‎ qualified‎ ‎ to‎ ‎ be‎ ‎ the‎ ‎ judge‎ ‎ of‎ ‎ anybody’s‎ ‎ character, ‎ but‎ ‎ i‎ ‎ know‎ ‎ who‎ ‎ i‎ ‎ want‎ ‎ to‎ ‎ be‎ ‎ friends‎ ‎ with,‎ ‎ and‎ ‎ you’re‎ ‎ high‎ ‎ up‎ ‎ that‎ ‎ list,‎ ‎ kwannon.‎ ‎ as‎ ‎ you‎ ‎ are,‎ ‎ now.”

This had less to do with her transition from youth to adulthood, and more to do with the things she'd been made to do... and that she went along with. Because she didn't know anything else. Even now, with the experiences of other options, she still resorted to the same things, because it was simply what she was good at. But she wasn't going to explain or dispute the other's opinion. That could come across as too self-deprecating. "Lucky for you that loyalty's a second skin for me." Her expression lightened, possibly even into a smile. "From the sounds of it, there's probably nothing I can say to convince you otherwise at this point. So, for once, you've managed to defeat me somehow. A first in my book."

   “Hey, there’s nothin’ wrong with that,” he continues, not wanting to make her feel bad. “You’re honest with y’ thoughts and y’ blunt. It’s not a bad thing. Can be refreshin’ being around someone not willing to tip toe around other people’s bullshit. I think y’ need someone who will listen to you. Better than keepin’ all the negativity inside.”

Heavy is the hand that wields the knife. She should talk to someone, anyone who would listen, but what would any of them have to offer other than platitudes and shifting blame so that she became more of a victim of circumstances? "You are probably one of the few to consider my opinions 'refreshing.' Though that's not the word most people use." Confrontational was more like it. Or playing Devil's Advocate. She was the machete that cut down the bush instead of beating around it. "Thankfully, I have other means of getting the negativity out. Nothing to do with words, of course." She was pretty sure she didn't need to elaborate. "And you? How do you get the negativity out?"

" that decision shall be left entirely up to me. "

"I was kidding," she admitted, stumped as to why Psylocke was answering the question easily when she was so flustered moments ago. Not a mind-reader, she couldn't tell what got the woman all bashful earlier. "But thanks for explaining! Remy's the only other one willing to explain stuff like that to me."

Ah. Right. A joke. She wasn't sure how she managed miss Gabby's sarcasm; probably because her mind was still occupied with overcoming her humiliation. "Being straight-forward and blunt is something he and I have in common, it seems." Then she suddenly shook her head, forgetting the original reason they were having this conversation. "So are you going to tell me what rizz is or not? ... does Remy know?" Maybe it would be easier just to ask him.

The kumiho adjusted the collar of her silk robe, pulling the ends closer together to show that she meant business. If he was going to offer her freedom just for keeping her ear to the ground and being his lip service to local gossip, she'd take it. "And in the event I do require your help? The hole Ji-Won would leave behind would be easily filled, and by someone who might not appreciate my... fluid definition of loyalty. Returning to hiding in the woods, feeding off vermin isn't exactly my ideal. Just so we're clear, I'm not asking for protection. Merely a moment every now and again to keep my head on my shoulders. Nothing more." She had nothing to say to the rest of his offer slash suggestion. As nice as it would be to sample some of whatever the daywalker had to offer, pushing boundaries like that could muddy things, and she preferred the clear waters before her at the moment. Nor did she care about whatever vague relationship he had with the absent ninja woman. ----------------------- Kwannon rolled her eyes at his "assessment" of her. He was acting as if he'd just found the cure for cancer. If he'd been hoping to piss her off or make her regret her actions, he was going to be sorely disappointed. "Congratulations, Ji-Won. You've discovered the very thing I tell myself every morning when I wake up." She ground her heel down on his wrist until she felt something pop. "Violence follows me around like my own shadow. Probably because I'm so good at it. And that's why people hire me. Why you hired me. So next time, maybe come up with something more original. Or don't. Because there might not be." She drove her psychic knife through his skull to paralyze him temporarily, enough to rip the door code from his mind. ≪It may be a few minutes. Had a lovely talk with our resident yokai, then? You sound like you trust her.≫