crowspace | Open Gin Voicetesting Post

-In all honesty, for Gin, it should have been an easy mission. Single target, single bodyguard. The intelligence had been sound, and there was very little, ostensibly, keeping her from getting in and out with the mission completed. Minimal work. But despite the briefing, that the female bodyguard was handicapped and likely wouldn't prove much trouble for an able bodied assassin, common sense was screaming that it couldn't be that easy.

But it really did look that easy, didn't it? The street was dark, the only light being that from the small doorway leading into the bar where her target was meeting with someone. The bodyguard in question was stationed outside, just sitting down with her sword propped against her shoulder, a pipe between her lips. The glow from the coal in her pipe cast a red light onto her scarred face... this was clearly someone who'd seen far too many fights. What's more, she clearly lived through all of them. The reports said it should be simple, but the entire situation was sending mixed messages.

Especially, when unprompted, the woman spoke, calling out to the darkness, knowing it wasn't empty...-

You should go back. This isn't worth throwing your life away for.

-Her voice was calm, like she was addressing a child. Despite that, the weight of her words wasn't lost. There was a heavy darkness in them, the voice of a killer... When she finally opened her good eye, it stared directly at Gin, piercing through the veil of shadows, as if she'd known the entire time she'd been there.

Just who was this woman? The intelligence had been minimal at best. If the Port Mafia had underestimated this woman... it was likely up to Gin to get an actual honest assessment of her abilities.-

[It was never that easy. People who told themselves an assassination mission would be easy and let down their guard weren't assassins for very long.

Gin wasn't expecting to be seen, but she didn't let that throw her. She wouldn't have been an assassin long if she wasn't able to adjust.

Without emerging from the shadows, she shook her head, slowly and without taking her eyes off the bodyguard.

Returning to the Port Mafia without even attempting the assassination - that would have been throwing away her life.]

Tch... Just a kid, aren't you? Not even a dog, really. More like a puppy...

-The woman pulled her pipe from her lips, tapping out the coal on her knee and letting it roll onto the street, sizzling out.-

Well if you insist... -She groaned before slowly rising to her feet, settling the sword into her sash and rolling her neck, popping it.- But this alley makes a terrible grave.

[What did that matter? No one in the mafia would spare her because she was a teenager, just like no one would have spared her when she was a child.

She'd seen worse graves.

This, however, was not good. Gin was a skilled assassin, but assassination and combat were different things, and once she had been spotted it became the latter. ...However, there was nothing to be done about it.

Gin watched the woman carefully, trying to get a feel for how she moved and where she would strike for first.]

-Baiken didn't move much. She shifted herself lower, firmly planting her feet as her hand rested on the edge of the sword's grip. It likely looked a bit esoteric to use such a weapon in this day and age, but nothing about her body position suggested this was anything new to her.

But in just barely a blink, she'd bounded from her post by the door and now was suddenly much, much, *much* closer, the blade drawn and swinging out in a controlled arc, aiming for the girl's arms.-

[Gin wouldn't have called anyone eccentric for using a sword, as long as they could use one effectively.

This woman could use one effectively. She moved faster than Gin had seen most assassins move, and she barely managed to keep from taking a blow to her arms by leaping back.

This was bad. Assassins weren't meant to be on the defensive... Gin tried to maneuver into what should be Baiken's blind spot if that eye really was useless. It wasn't honorable, but Gin had never thought much of honor.]

-It would seem like safe haven to most people, but it also put Gin on the side of Baiken's sword, creating a guard point to get past.

And on top of that there was an audible metallic clinking and whirring sound before a clawed device, attached to a chain, suddenly shot forth from her empty sleeve, where the right arm would have been, as Baiken widened her stance and swept her foot around to plant firmly behind her.

The claw was aimed for Gin's legs.-

[What the hell.

The claw caught Gin by surprise, and managed to get a solid grab on one of Gin's leg. Gin grunted in pain (her voice was surprisingly high and cute) and attempted to pull away.

Even if she injured the leg in the process, it was better than being a sitting duck.]

-Baiken's chain held firm, her feet still planted, and despite Gin's attempts to leap away, it dragged the girl back to her. She let her struggle for a moment more before sighing, shaking her head.-

That's enough. If it wasn't me, you'd already be dead. -And that was that. The training session was apparently over. Baiken's shoulder twitched, and the claw on the chain loosened, sheathing her sword before leaning down to help Gin get her leg free.-

Don't be too down on yourself. You did great up until this moment.

Why are you doing this?

[It's the first time Gin's spoken to Baiken - her voice is fairly high and feminine. More importantly, it's completely and utterly confused.]

Are you toying with me?

Do I come across as the type of person to do that? -A pointed remark. But she sighed, shaking her head.-

This was never a legit mission. It was to test you. Specifically, test you against me. Don't ask me the logic behind it, I just do what I'm paid to do. But it seems your bosses wanted to see how you'd fair.

-And it... didn't exactly look good, from the way things wound up, but Baiken didn't seem particularly bothered by it.-

[That explained why she, one of the more talented assassins of the Port Mafia, was sent on a supposedly 'easy' mission.]

...Failing a test is harshly punished.

[She wasn't looking forward to returning to report her failure, but neither could she run away.]

Don't get ahead of yourself, half-pint. -Baiken finally got the chain loose from Gin's ankle.-

Only I make the call whether you pass or fail, and I never expected you to actually beat me tonight. -But something about Baiken's tone suggested that wasn't really meant as a point of arrogance.-

I don't like the title, but the money's good for it, so from now on, you get to call me 'sensei'.

[Half... pint...

Gin recognizes that her life's been spared by someone capable of ending it, so she's not going to argue about the nickname, no matter how weird it is.]

Sensei.

-Baiken slumped herself into a seated position, retracting the chain as she pulled out the pipe from earlier, swiftly lighting it despite doing all of that one handed. After a moment, she looked back over to Gin, finally giving her a full look over.-

... How's your leg?

I've had worse.

[The wound is fairly deep and Gin's already pulling out bandages to wrap it up. It'll do until she can clean it properly.]

Stop.

-Baiken's command was firm, though she didn't physically reach to seize Gin's motions. Instead, she reached for the jug on her sash, pulling it free and handing it to her.-

Disinfect it first. I take good care of my tools, but that chain probably wasn't as clean as it should have been.

[Gin's used to bandaging her wounds just enough to be able to return from her mission safely, and then dealing with disinfecting. She's lucky to have a better constitution than her brother.

Unwrapping the bandage, cleaning the wound, then wrapping it with a clean bandage doesn't take long, and she doesn't even wince once, much less make a sound during the process.]

-She figured she'd react like that. Now that Gin knew she was meant to impress Baiken in some way for the purposes of evaluation, she wouldn't have winced even if it had hurt, Baiken figured. Or maybe she was just that stoic. Either way, she shrugged, taking back the jug and pulling a long, gulping drink from it.-

When you're done, I'll walk you out of here. You shouldn't put any wait on that leg for awhile.

[She's just that stoic. Hardly ever makes a sound - this is more than she's talked at once around anyone besides her brother in ages.]

Thank you.

[This arrangement is still super weird, and Gin can't help but remain on edge.]

From now on, I'm basically going to be your shadow. So get used to me being around. At the end of the period, your bosses will ask for my assessment.

-Not her most ideal job, but something about this girl interested her, none the less.- If that's going to be a problem, take it up with them.

[Gin shakes her head - no, it wouldn't be a problem, not worth going to her superiors for. Almost nothing was.

She'd just get used to having another shadow when she was used to being a shadow herself.]

Good. I'm taking you home, then. -... She didn't specify Gin's home or her own.-

...Mine?

[There's a problem with that, in the shape of her brother. Gin doesn't know what his reaction would be to finding a stranger in their home, but the odds on 'violent' are pretty good.]

-Baiken raised an eyebrow. That was the most reaction she'd gotten from the girl since the fight.-

It sounds like that's a problem.

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I'm bad at fight scenes even when I'm not voicetesting so sorry for slow

we can change gears to something else if you aren't feeling it. no pressure, it's just a voicetest!

a change of gears would be great

I gotcha. Hopefully this works.

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