The Right Hero? (Cillian)

[Sage Sudeki]

Spike had his plans now. A blue print for the path he believes will free his people and bring about hope for those who are seemingly in a prison city. Either TSI's truth is to protect them or not this was not the way to go about it. For now he needed to shine a light, but he was not that light. He was a name without a face, and not even a name many people like or look up to. It's a dangerous name that would push fear before hope.

Plenty seemed willing to help or sign up to help, but they showed very little leadership potential. Walking down the road to the park where he was going to sit and see how long he could maintain his Seikatsugan to train against this worlds seeming lack of Qi energy, he would turn to Musashi who was following just to his rear and to the left.

"If you had to choose a lord from the Sengoku era, would you have chosen Ieyasu Tokugawa, or would it have been Oda Nobunaga?"

Musashi brushed his chin with a thumb momentarily.

"Neither... I feel there were many more deserving people that with the right support could of been even greater for the world."

Spike hated that answer. He'd keep walking to the park.

[Cillian McWolfe]

Laughter and applause rang through the park as parents and children clapped their hands. Cillian, or more accurately, The Amazing Ardan took a bow. "Now watch closely and be amazed at the wonders of The Amazing Ardan. Please, do not try this at home." He'd caution the crowd as he took a step back, drawing a magnificent blade, one that even at a distance could not be mistaken as anything but exquisite craftsmanship, as only a blade that was forged to be able to withstand the legendary Excalibur could! The gleaming blade caught and reflected the sunlight as Cillian brought it up and slowly, carefully swallowed the blade, extending his hands for a moment before bringing them back to draw out the blade just as carefully. His otherwise free hand bringing a hidden lighter up to his lips as he'd exhale, breathing a burst of flame upward to the sky!

The crowd once more gasped in amazement and applause, with the lighter in his hand being cloaked and the sword that had gone past his face instead had appeared to be swallowed instead. Granted, he could do both without his abilities. Though he would never treat his own sword with such disrespect. However using his abilities helped to keep them sharp, and if he could breath a bit of 'fire' without having to have liquor held in his cheek all the better.

Qi use 1/31

0 level: Smoke and Mirrors - The Amazing Ardan creates an almost invisible fog in a twenty-foot radius around him that allows him to create and manipulate images of anything within that radius. Such images are visual only and have no physical presence but can be used to make duplicates of things within the radius, make things vanish, or even to make images appear to move on their own. These illusions register as genuine to Qi sensory techniques and machines.

[Sage Sudeki]

The cheers and happy sounds did draw the attention of Spike as he watched the display, clapping along to what seemed to be genuine magic tricks it seemed from when he was a kid watching magic on television.

He'd smile wide and enjoy the show for now. However what had caught his eye the most was that sword. He was a good craftsman himself, and when he watched the way the blade danced beyond how the guy handled it, he knew it was well made.

He'd find a spot to sit and watch the show until it was done.

[Cillian McWolfe]

The show continued on for a good twenty or so more minutes with various displays of acrobatics, daring feats, and slight of hand. With the official show finished however Cillian, or The Amazing Ardan, stayed behind to chat with the onlookers, deflecting questions about how he did this trick or that trick. Doing a few slight of hand tricks for children, pulling coins or flowers from their ears or seemingly out of nothing before giving the children their prizes. Taking the time to try and fill the after show with warmth and happiness for his audience. Eventually that too would disperse and it would leave Ardan some time to pack up his things as the crowd moved back to continue the birthday party for Dillan, the young man who turned nine today. Most things would go into a traveling case, but the sword would stay on his hip, never leaving his person. It was too precious for anything else.

[Sage Sudeki]

Now that everything settled and it was just them pretty much. Spike would wave for Musashi to just hang out and he would approach.

"Traditional magic... Generally isn't accompanied by a real sword of such fine make."

Once he had Cillian's attention he would give a polite bow and a wave with a smile.

[Cillian McWolfe]

"No, normally not." He'd agree with a sheepish grin, rubbing the back of his neck. "But my Master keeps most of our equipment locked up between shows. So if I'm going to do some shows on the side to make ends meet I have to use my own stuff. That was the agreement."

And this was the only sword that he had. Most of his money went to other things, so he didn't have the means to go and buy some fake swords or anything if he didn't need to. And thankfully with his skillset he didn't need to. He could make it work with what he had. "I'm happy to see you have been doing well though, it's been a couple of years. It's kind of funny how small and large this new world feels sometimes, isn't it?"

Not bad for a gilded cage.

[Sage Sudeki]

It was Spike's turn to be sheepish as he nodded along with a nervous chuckle.

"Yeah, I more or less locked myself away to study and learn as much as I could about this world and it's people. So I haven't been getting around much besides to do odd jobs to help the other lost people from my home country."

He'd frown after saying that realizing he had been failing in that regard since his views had recently changed.

"But, I came to realize this isn't about the people from my country anymore. This is about us as a whole."

He'd quickly realize he had gotten too serious at that moment and brushed it off with a smile.

"Anyways, glad to see you found a way to use your talents at least. Bring joy to people."

[Cillian McWolfe]

He nodded in agreement. "Old bias die hard. I struggle with it too still in some cases, but I agree. It's hard to think of ourselves as anything but survivors from our old world. With no way of knowing if it even survived everything that happened. The old divisions serve very little purpose other than to needlessly divide us." He shrugged before flashing Sage a grin. "Thank you, it feels good to do something like that. It was always a dream to use my gifts to make people smile and bring joy. It's... satisfying to have an opportunity to do that."

Though it wasn't how he imagined it, this world wasn't one suffering a near joyless existence. And the divide seemed to be between people from the old world and of this world. Prophesized to appear, and yet these 'saviors' that they were all proclaimed to be were locked into this city, given a home, but stripped of freedom. Fear and hatred filled many hearts on all sides, and he was concerned by the announcement of their arrival. It meant that someone knew they would be here, and that someone called them saviors. Which meant there was something to save them from. A disaster like that which befell their old world he had to imagine, escaping the death of one home only to be around to bear witness to such destruction again. But saviors they may have been hailed as, but a prisoner can not even save themselves, and he found it hard to not give in to negative feelings for this new world, this home without authenticity of love. Though not all of the survivors of the old world were as open minded as he was, or as able to blend in, and it left him and others in a balancing act. Balancing their own hearts on the edge of a knife while people on both sides tried to drag them down to despair and hopelessness.

It wasn't the same, but he liked to think that in some small way it helped. By normalizing them, this situation, and putting love and joy out their in the world to try and push back against the endless chasm of sorrow and pain that seemed to be without limit.

"I'm guessing that means that you joined that Academy thing?"

The implication being of course that Cillian himself, had opted to not join and instead was carving his own path.

[Sage Sudeki]

Spike would shake his head at the question. It's not that he never considered teaching the kids how to use Qi, but it just wasn't him.

"I looked into it, sure. I'm just not the kind of person to look up to."

He'd ponder a moment.

"I have been staying busy with... The darker side of whats been going on in the city."

[Cillian McWolfe]

"Oh?"

He slowed his pace slightly, his eyes shifting over to the man, trying to gauge him, what he meant, and what might need to happen if he was here with ill intent. If that was the case, goal one would be to make sure they went somewhere less public and didn't disrupt the party, or anything else going on in the park.

[Sage Sudeki]

Nodding he would elaborate with a question.

"My views shifted the moment I found what I did. Children. Qi users being trafficked out of the city to sell as weapons to the outside world."

[Cillian McWolfe]

"And your views shifted to what exactly?"

[Sage Sudeki]

"That it's not us or them. The person behind the kidnapping and trafficking was a Qi user. It's literally hope against despair. Our people are so divided and afraid, they all feel alone and without purpose. There is nothing to look up to, nothing to look forward to, except the mundane and lonely life here."

He'd sigh.

"We need unity and a beacon of hope. Someone and something to look up to."

[Cillian McWolfe]

He shook his head, but also relaxed, feeling some relief at that. "I don't think it's as simple as that either. Hope and despair mean different things to different people. There is no one root or cause to attack to fix that problem."

Unfortunately.

[Sage Sudeki]

Smiling wider at the comment he would nod.

"You are correct."

Spike liked this guy. He was a smart one, but there were questions to be asked.

"If there was a way to attack it from all the angles required to abolish enough of the despair to bring enough hope to make this city a home that everyone actually felt safe in instead of oppressed, afraid, and alone... What would you do?"