fourteen | oo48 [voice]

[ It's been just over a week since the storm and the infiltration, and the self-repair Shifts are finally kicking in. It's been a busy time, and Xion has been throwing most of her energy into helping fix what's been broken. But with things finally starting to calm down, and with lingering thoughts of the draft and a certain conviction on her mind, she settles down with her journal to make an announcement. ]

... for those of you who knew Suki, you knew she also headed the Kyoshi Warriors here in Luceti. Now that she's gone home... [ A deep breath. ] ... I'd like to see the group continue. So, if none of the existing members have any objections ... I'll be leading the Kyoshi Warriors from now on. For those who don't know me, my name is Xion.

[ It's a little more formal than she might normally speak. But this isn't really a casual thing, is it? She feels a certain pressure - both to live up to Suki's teachings, and what may well be Sokka's expectations. More than anything, she feels a need to do right by Suki's memory for Sokka's sake - and for the sake of all the other girls in the group. ]

The purpose of the Kyoshi Warriors ... was to teach people how to fight. Or a different way, if you already know. It's a group just for girls, right now. [ She pauses. It strikes her as strange, in a way, to separate out the genders. Deep down, she never saw the point. ] Considering things happen like the drafts... everyone should have a basic understanding of combat, if they want. Just to stay safe. You don't have to know anything about combat to be a part of it. We'll teach you. So if you want to join, come talk to me.

( Filtered to the existing members )

Anyway, guys, I think we should keep practicing every Sunday like we've always been. I know we missed about two weeks with the draft and Suki going home and everything... but we'll just have to make up for it!

Oh, and I guess, while I'm here... what do you all think about letting boys in?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ l o l and now one of her Brigade is leading another organization. Maybe she's just tired or knows how small this thing is, but she decides to see this as outreach]

Defensively, right? [Fighting, that is]

It could be. At least for the people who wanted to learn that way. But it's a style that can be used offensively, too.

[ ... pls pls pls be okay with this Haruhi ]

Isn't the basis of the style redirection? [It's for girls, right? ~~which in her mind is a very very good thing and letting boys in would be criminal~~] That's less easy to apply offensively, unless I've been misunderstanding it.

[From Sokka and Suki (to some extent) and Winry...]

Yeah. But that doesn't mean you always have to or even should wait for your opponent to come to you. Like, if you make a move and get them to react, you can still redirect that reaction. Does that make sense?

It does, but making an an aggressive style is just unfortunate to my ears. After all, it's about equalizing girls. [A hum] That's probably just me.

Oh, it's not going to be about that, don't worry. [ A bit nervous, over here. ] I'm not trying to change it. But I use it sometimes for offense... but I won't teach it like that.

Xion, I don't know what it stands for, I'm just saying my perceptions of it! I liked the idea of a woman's fighting style, that's all.

Something specifically for women... I guess maybe I still don't completely understand why that's special. The way I was, um ... raised ... I guess it sort of never came up.

[...] In my world, and I'd wager dozens of others, therefore, women have never had an equal position socially to men for centuries upon centuries. Even if it's better now back on Earth, it's still not perfect - couple that with the fact that men are on the whole physically stronger to the average woman [HERSELF EXCLUDED] it's necessary in a way.

[ Silence, for a moment. She really has no idea what to say to that. There were only ever two women in the Organization... but Xion never thought it was strange. Why should she? She had nothing to compare the situation to. Even her own failings she blamed on being a puppet, a defective replica... not on being a girl, or anything like that.

She feels pretty stupid, suddenly. ]

... sorry, Haruhi. I should have thought...

Sorry?! Why should you be sorry?! If you've never experienced it that's all the better for you, and you know what it's possible that isn't the original MO of the Kyoshi warriors and I'm just projecting! I'm just urging you to consider that for some people, that might be something they project onto the group. So don't be sorry, just consider that from here on, that's all.

[Huff] Jeez, you're a leader now, right?

[WHEN DOES SHE EVER APOLOGIZE SHE IS YOUR LEADER :I ]