iamvice | 002. and his shoes were pointy-toed. // open post.

Just "pretty impressive"?

[Lifting an eyebrow. Really?]

Yes, sir. [ Trying not to grin, because he would have never taken Mr. Jessiah Vice as the mentoring type.

At least. Yeah. No. ] Very, very impressive.

Better.

[Satisfied now. A guy's got to get his kicks from somewhere, right?]

Maybe you'll have the pleasure of working under her someday. She and Bart are cut from the same cloth, but their methods are about as different as night from day.

I look forward to the possibility.

[ He's been with Rhiannon since the twenty-fifth and already he's seeing things that appeal to him. ]

Good. Just don't forget that you kinda have to get to Fifth before going all-out here. Been on any other engagements lately?

[ A shake of the head as he looks down at his hands. ]

None so far, sir. Three of my blade mates are off at Kibo, training under Zangyaku, another is on his Everyman's Walk and Brianna has her own training while I have mine in London. [ A beat, and then: ] And I haven't forgotten. Fifth Circle is the goal, after all.

[ Quietly, to himself: And the one that'll open up all the opportunities -- especially the most important one. ]

[A low whistle.]

Busy, busy little bees, huh? Well, better that than sitting on your asses. Delacroix doesn't promote procrastinators. Still, best if you all find it in your crazy schedules to do a little more work when you can.

We will, sir. [ A beat: ] And while I can't speak for the others, I can for myself.

We work well, as a team. The engagement at Quiapo can speak for itself. We know each others strengths and weaknesses out on the field, and how best to support each other where one is lacking and the other isn't.

[ A small smile, eyes falling briefly to his phone. He's been wondering how the kid's been doing. Out there. ] I think waiting on Kaz to get back from his Everyman's Walk before we take on anything huge is a good way to play things for now.

[ He knows Kaz. The kid would feel bad if he missed out -- if nostly because he would wonder if there was anything he could have done to help. ]

Possibly. What does he do for you guys on the field anyway?

[Lifting an eyebrow. Come to think of it, he hasn't actually checked the most recent version of Cerberus' assessment on the War Hounds.]

Well, [ tapping his pack lightly on the table, thoughts turning back to Marikina and the look he'd seen on Kaz's face when Marissa Inojosa cast her Benediction. ] kiddo wants to be a healer, and that's... kind of something we need.

[ Counting off fingers now: ] Brig is a tank. Taning is our magic-user. Yulia is very much aggro. Brianna's our ranged fighter and add in her Changeling abilities, we've got the supernatural side more or less covered. And I've been dubbed as the 'aircraft carrier'-- [ he still remembers starting at that, when Inquisitor Montelibano-Profaci had given them her assessment of how they were individually at the station ] --which is hugely because of what I can do. The Boneyard's really helpful like that.

[ A beat, and then, nodding: ] Yeah. Healer-fighter. Because he's... settling. Finally figured out what he wants.

[ A proud smile at that, even as he's looking down at his hands. ]

[And he's listening. Really, he is. Now he just has a reading aid. Namely: your files.

At that last comment, though:]

Not too surprised that it took him a bit of time. He's Alexia's kid, right?

[ Stalling at the question, because his first thought is to ask who Alexia is--

--and then he catches himself because he's only ever met Mrs. Zobel de Ayala, the grandmother. ]

Uh. I've only ever met Neeka Zobel de Ayala, sir. I suppose so?

I take that as a yes. [Heh.] Alexia would be her daughter-in-law. Inquisitor of Netsach, licensed with the Methuselah and Aegis Kai Doru. Vet of the Darkest Vigil.

[Also kind of fucking crazy in a special sort of way, but don't let Jessie be the one to tell you that...]

[ It's a funny thing, that odd realization that for a while now, he'd kept on thinking of Neeka Zobel de Ayala as Kaz's mother... even while knowing that she was his grandmother.

He supposes that it all boils down on her being such a front and center fixture -- the way Kaz tells it anyway. In the few short months that they've been friends, Josh knows that when the kid goes "Mamita," it's definitely the Inquisitor.

Come to think of it... out of all of Kaz's family, she's kind of the only one he's actually met? ]

[Lifting an eyebrow, because it looks like LaRue has his Thinking Face on. He appears to be the one in his blade who does it the most often. Some of the others don't seem to like exerting brain power that much.

(See also: Brigade, Kaz.)]

I don't feel like being psychic right now, LaRue.

[Because he COULD be if he WANTED to be (thank you, Fenris), but eh. So much effort.]

Edited 2014-03-01 02:35 (UTC)

[ Blinking. ] Uh, sorry, sir.

I just realized that the only person I've really met from Kaz's family is Inquisitor Zobel de Ayala.

Not surprising. She still runs the show for them.

[It sounds harsher, though, than it actually is.

Jessie's not about to clarify, though.]

[ A lift of the brow, at that.

He doesn't know Inquisitor Zobel de Ayala very well, has only met her once, that one time. Whether that statement is true or not, he doesn't have enough information to make an accurate enough assessment, but Kaz, from what he can see, is a well-adjusted kid who turns to his grandmother for support and guidance. ]

Maybe that's just her way. [ If Kaz was different, then he'd worry. ] Kaz adores her, but he's old enough to make his own decisions and his own mistakes -- and from what I've seen, she lets him.

Yep. She'd be the good one, together with her wife, her husband, and her son.

[He has no opinion on the other children, but heard enough to feel assured that once Neeka DOES let go, things are probably going to be fine? That is relevant to his interests, of course.]

Neeka's come a long way. She may not be out there the way some of her other blade mates are, but everyone forgets that you don't HAVE to be out there in order to get shit done.

[ It's a true enough statement, and one that he can agree on. ]

Well, sir. There's always more than one battlefield. Better to pick where you're best needed, I suppose.

Especially if you're not good enough to be good at them all.

[Arrogant? Yes, and he has a damned good reason to be. He's the Malice King that isn't a god, but might as well be one. And everyone knows it.]

[ And this is a look of amused ...okay.

It's not anything bad. Truth be told, hearing Jessie say that, it doesn't strike him as arrogant in the least. Especially since he's seen what the man has done.

Vice isn't at the forefront of every market they've targeted out of sheer dumb luck. ]

[Smirking now, because he likes it when he meets somebody that sees him for what he is, and knows how to pass judgment properly. Too many people are too stupid, too easily caught up in their emotions, their petty concerns.]

Anyway. Rhiannon will be interesting for you. Good luck for when you do make it with them.

[Since he is sure that you will.]

Thank you, sir. [ He is really, really humbled by that. Because Jessiah Vice said 'when' not 'if'. ]

I'll do my very best.

002. and his shoes were pointy-toed. // open post.

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