terriblepurpose | Deer Country Contact

Hello, Oscar.

[The username is wrong, but he knows the voice.]

You've gotten caught in the network fritz.

Oh no-- again?

[He quickly tried to fix his display name-- and let out a frustrated little noise then the Omni locked him out. ]

Dang it. Now I'm stuck with the name of the main character in my favorite story. It's not bad, but she's not me.

[a sigh.]

Well. Since we're here, what do you think?

About you getting a new weapon?

[Paul asks his Omni with soft amusement, cross-legged on a training mat and mopping a light sheen of perspiration off his face with a towel.]

Never a bad idea. What are you considering?

Well. I mean. A gun didn't work out that well.

[He pursed his lips at the memory. A gun had been helpful, by ultimately it had left him open to an attack he hadn't anticipated.

It probably wasn't a good idea to do anything that facilitated a similar situation to happen again in the future. ]

.... I actually can fight with a cane, but I gave the Long Memory back to Ozpin. It's his, I guess.

[Even if being without it sometimes left him grasping at air while he unconsciously searched for an anchor to hold to-- but that was a separate issue. ]

As you see, I'm trying to get to Ruby. Since we're here, though... Did you have ideas?

[Paul hums, rolling his neck in a easy stretch.]

What do you want to do with the weapon? Where are you planning to take it?

Well, I think I've gotta find the method that works for me as I am now. I've gotten a lot better with the hardware over the last year-- but I'm not sure it's good enough to be pulling any of Oz's moves.

[He could do it, but he had never been in a position to be that close in a fight without the support from others. That was why he had tried the gun before-- he had anticipated that he would be able to get away quicker. ]

He can move really fast when he wants to. I'm not near as fast. It takes a lot out of me when I try, too.

... Mostly, I think I'm just looking for something versatile, that'll grow with me. Does that make sense?

You might do better with something that isn't predicated on movement if you aren't confident about it.

[Paul isn't as familiar with Oscar's fighting style as he'd like to be to give a strong recommendation, but he thinks it can't hurt to still work through a few preliminary questions before he gets in touch with the weaponsmith herself.]

Is this going to be one of Ruby's trick weapons? The ones that serve two functions.

[He hadn't really engaged in a lot of actual sparring or fighting since he lost the leg. Atlesian based tech aside, there had been a psychological component to both dealing with the loss of limb, the extra telepathic sense he had gained in Trench, and the guilt of surviving an actual apocalypse.

Training had never been something he did for anything but fighting preparedness. Some people liked to fight; he fought because there wasn't always the option to avoid it.]

Ruby's weapons are always multi-functional. The last one she made me, the one Chara broke, had a component to be a spear as well. I never got much of a chance to actually use it, you know?

[A spear. Paul can see it. A short spear might give Oscar a chance to fend off an enemy who came in close. It's easy to use, and can serve numerous purposes outside of combat.]

So what was it about a spear and a rifle that you didn't like? That might help you determine your direction.

I learned how to fight with Ozpin's cane. So, I didn't have much time to actually practice with the spear before I got hurt that year.

[That, ultimately, was the crux of it. Oscar didn't fight for fun, but out of necessity-- and, when given a choice, he tended to choose not to.

The summer had taught him that he didn't have that option anymore. ]

I just wanna make sure I can make the most of of it, that's all.

What does that mean to you?

[Paul pushes up to his feet to sink into a folded forward stretch, his voice distorting subtly as he inverts.]

Oscar, what I'm getting at is - your choice of weapon is dependent on what fits you best. It's the method by which you manifest your intent.

If you don't know what it is that you favour, the weapon I'd recommend to you is practice.

.... I just want to protect my friends, and this town as my new home.

[Oscar explained, a tad sober. He hadn't wanted to get serious. But, after all of this, Paul deserved an explanation.]

I want to help this place be a better place to live, so our friends can be comfortable whenever they get here. But... I don't want to make people worry about me, either.

Does that make sense?

It makes sense.

[Paul has a habit of taking things like this too seriously. His readiness to employ violence was developed in concert with a strict understanding of the weight of responsibility that comes with it.]

Are you sure a weapon is what you want at all?

... You ask that as if there's a choice.

[A choice that he had taken advantage of for over two years. Oscar sighed-- and knew explanations were in order. ]

I'm sixteen now, and everything this year has shown me that I need to be doing better than this. On Remnant, I was already helping Ruby fight Grimm when I was fourteen. Since I had a chance I knew I'd never get back home, I took it.

... Now I've gotta pick up a weapon again. Not because there's Grimm, but because I'm tired of watching everything fall apart.

Isn't there?

[Content with the extend of his fold, Paul braces his hands on the mat below him and unfurls into a handstand. His hair is long enough that he thinks absently (as he does every time he does this) that he should tie it up next time.]

That's what everyone tells me all the time. That you don't have to pick up a weapon and go to war to be useful, or to protect people.

I'm fairly sure you were one of them. So what's different about you, specifically?

[It was true. Oscar was a big advocate of trying the non-violent methods at every possible step. It was why he had chosen to face Ironwood alone-- and apparently how he managed to get Hazel and Emerald on their side.

Flopping over, Oscar pouted at the screen.]

It's a matter of self defense. I'm realizing that I'm useless if words don't do the job, and that I need to be better able to protect myself if everyone is busy or compromised.

There it is again. 'Protect'.

[He arcs over into a back bend, planting his feet on the floor and pressing until his spine hums comfortably.]

When I think of protection, I think of a shield, not a sword.

But, don't the two usually go together?

[That's how it was in his stories. Even Jaune knew how to fight better than Oscar did, and he was by default a protective knight. ]

Usually.

[He concedes, lightly.]

But I've seen some of the things Ruby makes. She's inventive, and so are you.

And if you're intent on a weapon, but still don't know what you want - I'd recommend a gun. They're popular for a reason.

Well, yeah. That's why I was using one in the first place.

[Because even in Remnant, before his injuries and setbacks after over a year in the Dream, he had only been good enough to defend himself on the field or work in tandem with others. He had only managed small Grimm on his own.

And gotten a hit on the agile and tricky Neopolitan. That had been using his wits though-- and once he lost the element of surprise, all bets were off.]

A gun and a shield though? They don't really lend themselves to anything light or easy to carry.

Oscar...

[Paul breathes out, heavily, as he lowers himself back onto the ground. He stretches out there, toes pointed and hands over his head, before he knits his fingers into a cushion at the base of his skull.]

What I've been trying to tell you is that I can't make this choice for you. You don't know what you want. You know a few of the things you don't want, but that's not enough to narrow things down.

When you use a weapon, every time you pick it up might be one of the most critical decisions of your life. If you use a shield, you may not be able to use a gun, and vice versa. You have to decide which one you want.

I know. I'm not asking you, too.

[He frowned, and pulled over a notepad with which to jot down a few notes for later. This entire call had been an accident, but at least it was proving to be a little helpful.]

I'm just getting ideas. Lots of physical weapons started as farm tools, you know? Like... a scythe. So, my tactics have usually been the same:

Use what I've got to protect what's important, whether it's the harvest, my home, or my friends.

Since meeting Ozpin and Ruby, I've learned that they can be very personal too. That's why I'm collecting ideas to brainstorm with Ruby. I never actually had a weapon that was mine before the one Chara broke.

Ozpin's cane doesn't count.

I only don't want to draw you down the wrong path.

[Practically or morally. The idea of Oscar taking up weapons the way Paul uses weapons makes him uncomfortable for multiple reasons.]

I'd never seen anyone use a scythe as a weapon until I met Ruby. But I think we tend to have more knives lying around than you do.

I dunno. Knives are pretty important if you spend any time in the wilderness.

[His infinite bag of holding wasn't just stocked with snacks, after all. Oscar leaned back, listening to Paul's words.]

... About that. I might be on the wrong path by trying to avoid everything. While I generally know the rules and the skills because of everything, I haven't taken the time to build up my body and my instincts for it. And, since leaving Remnant? I thought I could get away with not doing it.

But. Not having those instincts is part of why I keep getting in trouble.

[Paul blows out another light sigh, more restful than unsettled.]

Since you came to me for advice...

[Technically, Oscar didn't come to him, but he did ask for advice.]

You keep getting in trouble because you don't avoid things. Which might be an instinct worth developing next to your fighting skills.

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