[@Crimmy]

[b]Luke Schwarz, Monday, Early O'Clock[/b]

[b]"Mm."[/b] I responded charismatically. [b]"I should check it out."[/b]

It seemed that I had allowed that energy I sensed to peter off by changing the subject, as unfortunate as that was. Glancing up from my food, I found Gratia's onyx eyes boring into my skull with their usual quiet intensity.

Not that her gaze was "usual" by any normal sense of the word, but you know what I mean. Just the sort of look she always affixed you that just had a vibe of "get to the point and get the point done", or somesuch along those lines. She wasn't much for suffering through pointless chatter and roundabout idiocy, despite my best efforts at "exposure therapy".

Read: Chattering pointlessly and being a roundabout idiot.

[b]"Going off of both a little mental review and what my gut tells me, the problem's range."[/b] I elaborated. Hopefully this would appease her a little. 

I can't believe I felt I had to appease someone I decided to approach for help, but here I was making the judgement call anyway.

[b]"It's already enough of a liability to need to get into fistfighting distance, even before you take into account that I'm a smaller guy with a shorter reach than most. Combat being a game of inches and all makes that all the worse, I would wager."[/b]

Having always been a short young man, I wasn't particularly insecure or miffed about the fact that even the girl I was talking to stood taller than I, but facts were facts. I'm no good in a fight if I can't ply my trade from further out than a couple of feet and something's stopping me from getting that close.

[b]"After all, I'm not nearly as quick or as skilled as my sister. I move practically in slow motion compared to that girl. In-and-out movement comes to her about as naturally as you eating candy or me struggling in Language."[/b]

The drillfists really should have gone to her. They probably would have had I not decided to selfishly rekindle my desire to Hunt at almost the literal last second. 

I hope she isn't too mad about it.

[b]"So what I need is something that could make up the difference, and potentially hit harder than just the strength of my own punches. I'm currently my own limiting factor."[/b]

I didn't entirely lack pop, but a hard target might need something more.

Hrm.

Something that could smash or punch straight through...

---

[@Suku]

[b]May the Schwarzes be with you![/b]

[color=ffcf40]"Sounds like a plan, then! Let's get a move on, gang!"[/color]

[color=00aeef]"Remember, we're 14."[/color]

[color=ffcf40]"I'm 15. What's that got to do with anything?"[/color]

[color=00aeef]"Just important information to keep in mind, don't worry about it, sis!"[/color]

So she didn't. If there were a better example of the maxim of "be water", then you would be hard-pressed to find it.