[ Kenji and Max go down the stairs to talk. Tia follows a ways, and then is distracted by a prismatic butterfly that found it's way indoors. ] [ This leaves Max and Kenji together to discuss.......... things. ] [ Sidesession Start! ] * HKenji kneels in the sitting room. "Have a seat, Max." * Max hovers on his book, sitting cross-legged. And out of sword-reach. He pushes his glasses up his nose. "I-I am s-s-seated." He watches Kenji carefully, for even the slightest move. * HKenji brings his hands carefully around in front of him and tucks his thumbs into his obi, a position from which it would be virtually impossible to strike by surprise. You are afraid of me. * HKenji says it as a simple statement of fact. There's no disputing it at this point. O-ob-- observ-vant, a-aren-n't you. It was rather difficult to miss. A blind, stupid Matsu could feel the fear rolling off you. Y-you w-will forg-give me if I d-do n-not underst-st-st--- UNDERSTAND. your analog-gy. Why are you so afraid of me? Y-you ar-re ... (I am willing to do what needs to be done.) * HKenji quirks an eyebrow and waits for Max to finish. You are psy-- psy--- *swallows* You are d-dangerous. Unst-stable. * HKenji can't keep the corner of his mouth from twitching upward at that. Where in the wide world did you get the idea that -I- am dangerously unstable? Wh-what else do y-you c-call *starts edging backwards away from him* s-someone wh-who w-w-would k-kill h-his f-frien-nds? And c-call it "g-good for them". You needn't back away, Max. I could not strike you from this position if I wanted to. That's why I take it. Further, I would never kill my friends. * Max clearly does not believe Kenji about his claimed inability to strike. Then Ist- Ist-ist-- ISTvan is not your f-friend? If Istvan insisted on taking an action that could hurt all of you, then he is no friend of mine. ... As leader of this team, Max, I am personally responsible for the safety of each and every one of you. If I have to kill to keep you safe, I will do that without hesitation. K-kill. I s-see. You w-would k-kill us t-to s-save us. Without hesitation. FOr those in my command, I would kill, I would live, and I would die. That is what it means to be a leader. ...and you d-do not... *takes a deep breath, and rises to his feet, pushing his glasses up his nose* And you do not see the inconsistency of that. (That was a statement. Not a question.) There is no inconsistency in that, Max. You may have noticed that I did not, in fact, have to kill Istvan. But if he insisted on remaining an unnecessary danger to all of you, I would have. No, you did not. You got halfway, and chickened out, Kenji. *shakes his head* You attacked him in a fit of rage, and then pulled back. ...you cannot possibly believe that. I have never "chickened out" in my life, and I never will. Furthermore, I am not one to "attack in a fit of rage". How else do you explain your attack on a man who was unarmed, and not challenging you? Who, at least once, was your friend? If you would turn on him, would you not turn on the others? Or me? He did challenge me, Max. He insisted, repeatedly, that I cut him down. You have not known me long. ...you m-may n-not like me. *looks down* I w-would un-underst-stand that. Did you cut him down, Kenji? Yes I did. * Max looks up, meeting Kenji's gaze, possibly even challengingly. I chose not to kill him, in hopes that he would see the error in his foolishness. Then how was he capable of walking? Is there a necromancer in this house? I somehow doubt there is. *pushes his glasses up his nose* He walked because I wished him to walk, and bid Alcinoe bind his wounds. I do not kill needlessly, Max. Wasting a life is not the Way. * Max sighs. "And that is the insanity I fear, Kenji. That Alcinoe and Patrick seem to back you in it frightens me even more. I-- I w-want t- to t-trust y-you." ( No you don't. c.c ) I r-really d-do. B-but... What i-if you d-decide that I am a d- danger? W-will I, t-too, s-suffer your wr-wrath? I as-ssure y-you. I a- am c-c-c-- capable of-- of--- *hyperventilates* (Aww, poor Max. I really want to hug him right now.) If I decide you are a danger, Max, I will simply not allow you to adventure further with this team. ( He NEEDS it right now. ) There is no need to kill you unless you insist on remaining where you are not wanted. ... ... *hangs his head* There are few crimes greater than the needless taking of a life, Max. What you define as "needful", Kenji, would make -- *grits his teeth, and takes a deep breath rather than finishing* Finish your statement. * Max avoids looking at Kenji. "You will not like it." A good leader does not kill the messenger for bringing bad news. Your opinion, whatever it is, will be considered duly on its own merit. * Max mumbles something about "good leaders" not doing so, then pushes his glasses up his nose and looks Kenji in the eye. "What you define as 'needful', Kenji, would make a drow feel right at home." (We have one! We can test.) So you see no difference between killing someone because they are a hindrance to your plans and killing someone because they present a clear danger to those you are sworn to protect? Were you not sworn to protect Istvan, as well? *now standing on his book, risen a bit in the air so he's slightly above Kenji, with his fists clenched at his sides* [ Pause for just a second. ] [ Seylin walks into the room! Depause. ] I was, and am. I am still protecting him. But if it comes down to a choice between Istvan and the rest of you, the needs of the many must outweigh the wants of the few. * Max 's eyes narrow. "You say you are protecting him. Yet I heard you threaten his life at least a second time." And do NOT use that platitude, Kenji. It is wrong too convenient an out. Do you realize the kinds of things that can be justified, using that platitude? * HKenji narrows his eyes and says coldly, "I know far, far more about the matter than you ever will, Max. I have made the choices from which you are shielded." ...I pity you, Kenji. But that does not excuse it. Honor requires that if it is possible, I obtain the best outcome for all parties. But when that is impossible, the greatest good for the greatest number will do. And killing Istvan is, or was, the only possible good? If he would not relent in his determination to come where he was not wanted. * Seylin clears her throat softly. "Max, what would have happened if Istvan had continued on the way he had been going?" * HKenji snaps his head towards Seylin and suddenly calms. * Max almost jumps off of his book, and turns to face Seylin. But doesn't let Kenji out of his line of sight, either. I do not know. What 'way' had he been going? Perhaps that is the core of this: Why is Istvan such a danger that he merited execution? Would Istvan have listened or changed his ways if Kenji had threatened anything else? You have not answered my question. I am answering it. But answer mine, because that'll help in answering yours. Would he? I do not know. What could Istvan have been doing that was so terrible that it merrited such a threat to force a "change"? Any crime so dire surely warrents incarceration, if it comes to such a threat. It's not what he was doing. It's what he wasn't doing. He was just coasting along, letting things come as they may. And it had worked for us so far, but we can't keep doing that. The only way he was going to change is if something really challenged him. Really, *really* challenged him. Sure, we could have thrown him in a cell, but that would've just made him angrier and more unwilling to change. (Did that all go through?) ( Yes. ) And THAT warrents death!? *flushed, clearly not afraid, but more angry, now* The only way to challenge him was for Kenji to say what he did... and the only way for Istvan to take it seriously was if he knew that Kenji would follow through. And Kenji *knew* that Istvan wouldn't be willing to go that far. * Max holds up one finger. "Kenji will not make idle threats, yes?" * Seylin shakes her head. * Max holds up a second finger on the same hand. "Kenji will threaten our lives if he is not...'satisfied'...with our choices." You have made a... a... * Seylin shakes her head. "No." ... a leap of false logic? * Max turns on Kenji. "Then explain to me again why you threatened Istvan's life. And felt the need to drive the point home with a half- hearted blow." Because he left me no other options. I seem to recall telling you something to that effect before. I fail to see how he left you 'no other choice'. What could he have done that would warrent his execution? Had he continued on his path, what WOULD have happened? He might have died. What would have happened? We would have engaged in battle. At a critical point, a point at which we needed Istvan to hold or advance, he would instead have broken. He would die. Shortly afterward, the rest of us would die. * Seylin nods. ( And that's bad. ) I asked you once what the strength of a chain was, Max. So, to save his life...you would kill him. To prevent him from having the chance to be there to save you, you would kill him and ensure your defeat when you would have needed him. ( It'd make the GM cry. ;_; ) No, to save our lives, I would have removed him. So that when he would have broken, there would instead be another formation there, with strong links in the chain, so that it would not break. * Max shakes his head. "The strength of a chain is it's weakest link. You would destroy that link afore-hand, and render it useless before it could be tried." We might not have had time for a trial, though. If a smith notices that a link will not hold under the expected strain, he is remiss in his duty if he does not remove that link and reforge the chain. And removing the 'link' represented by Istvan would require his death? Could you not leave him behind, Kenji? Must you execute those you no longer have a use for!? Max. Kenji didn't kill Istvan. I never required his death. You're talking like he did. You were then bluffing when you threatened his life? Only a fool or a desparate man bluffs. Then you would have killed him. If he declined to be left behind, yes. Perhaps you noticed that he refused, most vocally, to be left behind? And what could he do, if he followed? If we are not relying on him, what harm is there to any save himself? The charge of a lone man into a careflly planned strike? It can cause incredible amounts of damage. There are many, many ways in which the act of a single weak man can cause the death of thousands. And though this company is significantly smaller, I am no less obligated to protect it. And you will kill me, then, too, if I somehow fail to satisfy you? This is why I fear you, Kenji. Because you justify murder of allies with "the needs of the many". I fear you will decide that I am not needed. And abandon me. Or destroy me. You've no reason to like or even trust me; we only met a short while ago. I-- I-- *chokes, wipes tears from his face* I wanted to be friends with you, all of you. But *breaks down, crying* ...I-- *sniff* I'm sorry. * Seylin puts her arms around Max. "No he won't, Max." I fear... I'm your weak link. * HKenji laughs. ( !_! ) * Seylin shakes her head. "Max, look at me. If you're afraid of that, there's lots of things you can do to improve yourself. Don't belittle yourself like this." Ist-- istvan is orders of magnitude stronger than me. I'm j-just a mathematician. But that's important! Just a mathematician. You have excellent humor here. Your intelligence is just as vital as Istvan's strength. The day Istvan learns to shoot balls of fire from his fingers, then I will say he is stronger than you. * Max laughs bitterly. "Important? Yeah, I can count your enemies. But I'm going to ... " He shakes his head. Going to what? I-- I do not know. But if Kenji'd done to me what he did to Istvan... I'd be dead. That he'd be willing to... THIS is why he scares me. You wouldn't be dead, Max. I don't think it would be necessary for him to do that. I do not kill when I do not intend it. * Max looks up, light glaring off his glasses and hiding his eyes. "...you would have had to." ... He pulls away from Seylin. Are you telling me that you would refuse to leave if you were not wanted? * Seylin lets him go. * Max looks down. "So. Do you want me? I will help, because I want to, and I w-- want-- " He wipes his eyes again. "I want friends. And I liked adventuring with you." But if you don't want me, or are going to kill me, tell me now. *attempts a joking smile that comes out frightened and more serious than he'd like* I want to know so I can go set up defensed to hide behind. You didn't answer the question, Max. If you were not wanted, would you insist on staying? If I'm not wanted... No. I won't insist on staying. ...can I at least say good bye to everyone? * HKenji smiles a little. Then you've very little to worry about, Max, least of all me killing you. * HKenji stands up. * Max winces. "Of course not. You'd never kill a coward. Good bye, Kenji. Good bye, Seylin." * Max drifts towards the stairs. Wait! * HKenji blinks. ... what? Why are you leaving? ...I told you. I won't stay where I'm not wanted. But we didn't say we didn't want you! * Max blinks, and turns, suprised. And almost loses his glasses, which he hastilly pushes up his nose. "Y-you don't n-not want me?" Well, I can't speak for Kenji, but I'd be really sad if you left. ...y-you would? I c-can stay? A skilled shugenja who can follow orders and keep his head in the chaos of battle is rarely unwelcome, Max. * Max blinks, completely thrown. "What's a shugenja?" A wizard. Or a priest. It's not a word that translates well. The point is, you. Oh. Unless I was completely deceived and you were in actuality smiting our foes with the holy fire of mathematics. * Seylin laughs. * HKenji says that with a completely straight face. * Max snickers, despite himself, and breaks down into tears. "S-ssorry. I-I'm sorry." He wipes his face, and takes a deep breath to calm himself. "I do have this idea about how a lightning bolt can be bounced around in precise angles to hit multiple targets without hitting others..." * Seylin gives Max a quick hug. "We're all ears." See, you calculate the angles, and use the positioning of the targets to ricochet it around the room. But you have to calculate it just right, because the arcane energies will interfere with the spatial angular mechanics. It's better than a chain, though, 'cause a chain weakens as it goes... * Max rambles on and on, barely stopping for a breath. Somewhere, he's obtained a chalkboard and is writing equations...it's really not all that interesting to anyone but him. But he's absorbed in it. * Seylin looks over at Kenji. * HKenji looks over at Seylin. * HKenji nods to Seylin in recognition of a job well done. * Seylin smiles. [ And so Max explained, and Kenji and Seylin pretended to listen, and they all lived happily ever after! Sidesession End! ]